Sun, Microsoft to flesh out pact

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The conflict between MCPP and Open Source

Sun Microsystems' SEC 10Q filings
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/709519/000119312504155723/0001193125-04-155723-index.htm
includes a copy of the April 1st ( I kid you not! ) technical agreement made with Microsoft covering Microsoft's Communications Protocol Program
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/709519/000119312504155723/dex10108.htm

The Non-disclosure terms for any protocols that can interoperate with Microsoft's Client or Server software would seem to restrict a lot of that functionality from being released under any open source license by Sun.

Sun's James Gosling states that Sun is able to pick and choose which protocols and software that Microsoft's agreement applies to.
http://today.java.net/jag/page7.html#60

This makes the agreement between Sun and Microsoft, competitors in the desktop file/print/domain server market, wholly different than the current Microsoft Communications Protocol Program being offered to other vendors.
http://members.microsoft.com/consent/Info/LicenseOverview.aspx

This ablity to selectively pick and choose and other "flexabilities" was a detail left out of Sun's press release, and more interestingly, the joint status report on Microsoft's complicance with the US DOJ final antitrust judgement.
http://www.sun.com/smi/Press/sunflash/2004-04/sunflash.20040402.3.html
http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f203200/203264.htm

However, theis flexability is not reflected in the terms of the April 1st agreement filed at the US SEC.
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/709519/000119312504155723/dex10108.htm

What gives?

Posted by: David Mohring   Posted on: 11/29/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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