Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sat 18th Aug 2007 20:13 UTC
The OSI License-Discuss mailing list has been ablaze for the past few days since Microsoft submitted its Permissive License to the OSI for official open source license approval. Jon Rosenberg, source program director for Microsoft, posted, "Microsoft believes that this license provides unique value to the open source community by delivering simplicity, brevity, and permissive terms combined with intellectual property protection."
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Member since:
2005-07-06
As much as I hate to say it, I have to agree that DiBona's points are valid. None of what Hilf said impressed upon me that Microsoft was pursuing this as anything other than a marketing campaign. Attacking DiBona and Google certainly didn't help matters much, either, especially given Microsoft's track record regarding open source.
It's a tough pickle, because the OSI is screwed either way. If they agree to review and approve the MSPL, Microsoft will feature it on its website alongside restrictive licenses and try to render them "open" by association, confusing your average CIO and getting a free ride on the back of a community they've constantly antagonized. Misleading (or helping to mislead) the public about open source and license legitimacy seems contrary to the goals of the OSI.
On the other hand, if the OSI turns MS away without even considering the license, they threaten to undermine their credibility and objectivity.
It will be interesting to watch this unfold.