MS to EU: Trust us, we've never seen a loophole we liked

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Free but closed.: Microsoft has agreed to provide some information free of royalties, but will not allow any software using that information to be issued without royalties. Presumably, this is because the software using Microsoft's information would define Microsoft's information so well that anyone could deduce the information.

The EC's contention is that if they win the Court case, they will insist on open-source acceptance unless Microsoft can prove to them that the information is an innovation. The EC as super patent office.

This is arrogant and highly favorable to open source of course, but the EC will not change its determination to grab anything it wants from anyone it chooses to satisfy its own purposes. The spirit of Monti lingers on.

But Microsoft could win the Court case or new people could bring in ideas more comfortable with an "ultra-liberal" market. The complaint by the Judge in the Court of First Instance sounds promising for the gradual evolution of the EU's bureaucratic thinking.

Damage delayed is not damage forestalled.

I have to admit, I don't understand the point being made in this commentary. I hope the author will summarize for the benefit of anyone who had trouble following the connection between the EC document and the Apple US Court decision.

Quoting from the EC document:
Microsoft has agreed that it will allow development and sale of interoperable products on a worldwide basis. Microsoft has also recognised that a category of the information which it is obliged to disclose will be royalty-free.
Microsoft considers that the software source code developed by recipients of the interoperability information that implements the Microsoft protocols should not be published under a so-called 'open source licence'.; Posted by: Anton Philidor Posted on: 06/13/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use