[ubuntu-uk] Microsoft To pay the fine... AND allow OSS to get hands on the specs

[Dougie Richardson]

On Mon, 2007-10-22 at 16:55 +0100, Matthew Larsen wrote:
> FTA:
> 
> > ...The European Commission said Microsoft will now charge a one-time fee of 10,000 euros
> > to firms that want "complete and accurate" technical information on Windows software.
> 
> > In addition, it will also allow the data to go to open source software developers.
> 
> > Open source software allows users to read, alter and improve its code - in contrast to
> > proprietary software where a company controls the source code...
> 
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7056288.stm
> 
> -- 
> Matthew G Larsen
>    > mat.larsen at gmail.com
>    > matthew.larsen at logicacmg.com
> 
There's some discussion about this on Slashdot - there is also the
mention of a much reduced royalty for a worldwide license including
patents being reduced from 5.95 percent to 0.4 percent.

I must admit though that given the timing of this capitulation I wonder
how it ties into recent patent infringement remarks by Steve Ballmer.

Dougie Richardson