Re: KDE not in Debian?
Marcus Brinkmann <Marcus.Brinkmann@ruhr-uni-bochum.de> wrote
> On Wed, Feb 02, 2000 at 05:49:10PM +0100, Marc van Leeuwen wrote:
> > By the way, I assume that Microsoft does not forbid distribution of binaries
> > for programs that run under MS Windows (that would certainly decrease the
> > popularity of their platform).
>
> If they run without using Microsoft code (for example libraries), Microsoft
> has no say in it. However, no serious windows program does.
>
> > Is this because they explicitly gave
> > permission, or simply because their permission is not required? I honestly
> > don't know, but I would bet it is the second possibilty. Does anybody have
> > more definite information on such issues?
>
> Your question is answered by looking at the relevant licenses in MS
> development kits.
>
> For example the Visual Basic runtime library has a very restrictive
> license. You are allowed to distribute it with a VB program only. Of course,
> you must not reverse engineer etc.
Thanks for the information (though I haven't any development kits to look at).
Unfortunately it doesn't answer my question, or more exactly, shows that my
question wasn't the one I was really after. If MS really is able (or think
they are able) to bind people to a contract before they can even begin to make
a Windows application, then they don't need to invoke copyright law, and so
their position does not illuminate the possiblities of that law. I was
thinking of a program that was freely developed and compiled to run under
Windows (i.e., with the Windows API), but which does not require any other MS
product (like the VB runtime library) to accompany it. Maybe such programs
cannot legally exist, and the question becomes meaningless. Unless there is
maybe some other proprietary platform, where users can actually get to own
their copy of the software...
Marc van Leeuwen
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