07.27.08
Gemini version available ♊︎Interesting Apache-Novell Analogy
The deal Microsoft has with Novell is hugely different from the company’s new arrangement with Apache. For starters, and perhaps most importantly, there is one main branch of Apache, whereas Novell tried getting a carte blanche for SUSE at the expense of all other distributors, of which there are plenty. This cannot ever happen with Apache.
Earlier today, this item was posted to highlight the severity of the latest situation, whereby Microsoft ‘buys’ its competition. The following comment came a little later and it’s particularly interesting.
On the surface it looks like one possible reason for going after the Apache
Foundation might be to disrupt it directly, like is being
done by the ongoing aggression versus Yahoo to rattle the
developers and teams.However, a licensing dependency injects a control and ownership
over otherwise Free systems. What is happening to FOSS distros
like Fedora and Ubuntu have been getting infected with
Microsoft’s licensing (e.g. Mono) could be a risk for Apache.
The reminder from these HP memos from 2002 is that MS could just
be lining up its shots for a future lawsuit by using funding to
leverage injecting proprietary material into general projects
like Apache, Ubuntu, GNOME, etc., which it appears to be doing,
and then cashing in (assuming MS is still around). Think a case
like SCO but where MS has had a few years to ensure contamination
has occurred before calling in the lawyers.It’s up to regular users to look ahead at the development
versions and not be chumps about accepting proprietary licensing
in FOSS projects, especially from recidivist organizations.
This probably sums up the risk of accepting the lizards. More thoughts on this would be welcome. █
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Aaron Farr said,
July 28, 2008 at 9:49 am
Wow, once again, people clearly don’t understand how this agreement works. Let’s repeat together class:
Apache sponsorship gives no access to code.
There’s no (new) opportunity for Microsoft to “inject” anything into Apache. So the commenter is just making things up.
Roy Schestowitz said,
July 28, 2008 at 10:35 am
It’s not about injection of code.
See:
http://boycottnovell.com/2008/03/20/ooxml-deception-pr/
http://boycottnovell.com/2008/03/26/microsoft-buys-moox-support/
Gist:
“Here’s some money. Help us build another new generation of document lock-in and deceive people on OOXML support.”
Jose_X said,
August 2, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Aaron, so what did Microsoft buy? Is there public access to this “agreement”?
Why would those that value FOSS help the closed shifty Windows monopoly? http://boycottnovell.com/2008/07/26/apache-caves/#comment-17770