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Re: [LUG] Micro$oft



Can someone mail the address of the MP's register again and the e-mail for
the DOJ anti microsoft case,  if someone has one for sony I want to ask
who's side they are on,  one the one hand they support Linux as a PS/2
addon,  on the other they support the DCMA and SSSCA acts which are anti
free software,  or more to the point Anti Piracy, it just makes it a legal
requrement to include anti copyign measures in the software, so in the case
of open source it can be taken out. which is why it will be illigal to use
Linux,  not that many servers are really going to be playing music or DVD's
esp things like routers, or firewalls.  I think we should support anti
piracy legislation BUT try and suggest something that will still benefit all
of us.

If we are seen as against this legislation 100% we seen as condoning piracy,
which will just work against us,  so we need something in the middle of the
two, be anti piracy but pro free choice and expression.

Perhaps one e-mail signed by the whole group, say textfile attached with
names and e-mails or something,
Paul
l

----- Original Message -----
From: "Adrian Midgley" <akm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <list@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2002 3:26 PM
Subject: Re: [LUG] Micro$oft


On Saturday 20 April 2002 13:10, you wrote:
i'm puzzled - i thought SMB was an open protocol - there's an article
about it in this month LXF.  it's an interview with the guy who runs
SAMBA development.

But MS are doing their usual thing, changing some detail of the protocol,
so
that it doesn't work with other systems.  A sort of reverse of "good
engineering by good neighbours cooperating for the common good " which is
what we should by now be seeing.

They are of course wholly unreformed, indeed I would not rule out some
courts
deciding that such conduct while in the midst of their lawsuits amounted
to
demonstrating contempt for the court, as well as the rest of the world.

Now software copyright is a sensible idea, but software patents, as
applied
in the US and to an alarming extent in the EU now, are a really bad idea.
They do not fulfill the purpose of the patent, but also tend to be granted
for things that are obvious, and things that were worked out long ago by
people other than those who produce them.

But if MS can change SMB by adding a patented "extension" to it then they
can
seek to sell licences and obviously are not inclined to sell licences to
anyone other than large firms.

Gates declared himself many years ago, to be an enemy of open source and
free
software, and as the MS model of business begins to falter (it is) the
frenzy
to make any other model impossible is growing.  I think we are heading
toward
a cusp.

Personally, I like NT4, and see no need to go beyond it.

--
From one of the Linux desktops of Dr Adrian Midgley
http://www.defoam.net/

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