Microsoft Public License

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The Microsoft Public License , Ms-PL for short (originally Microsoft Permissive License ) is a free software license from Microsoft with a weak copyleft . It is one of the first two open source licenses from Microsoft. It was recognized as open source by the OSI just like the Ms-RL on October 12, 2007. This makes these two licenses the first Microsoft licenses to meet all of the 10 OSI criteria. The recognition as an open source license was applied for on August 10, 2007 under the name Microsoft Permissive License . The Free Software Foundation also recognizes it as a free software license, but classifies it as incompatible with the GNU General Public License (GPL) and therefore advises against its use. In the past, Microsoft was more likely to stand out because of its massive rejection of open source. Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer once put it that Linux is a cancerous growth that affects everything it touches in terms of intellectual property. He is addressing the viral licensing (strong copyleft) of many free software products through the GPL and other licenses that stipulate that the publication of software that derives advantages from software of these licenses must take place under the same license.

The reason for this change in strategy can be found in the company's own open source FAQ:

“Microsoft's open source strategy aims to help business partners and customers to be successful in a heterogeneous technological world. This includes increasing opportunities for business partners, regardless of their underlying development model. It also includes increasing the opportunities for developers to gain new knowledge and creativity by combining community-oriented open source with traditional, commercial approaches to software development. "

According to its own statements, Microsoft decided against using existing open source licenses, as these did not meet their claims with regard to patents and trademarks . In addition, the new license should be "simple, short and easy to understand". Otherwise, the content of the Ms-PL is based on the new BSD license , the Apache license in version 2.0 and the Mozilla Public License .

content

  • The prohibition of the unauthorized use of trademarks, logos or names of (co-) creators of the software.
  • The termination of a license granted by the patent holder if software distributed under the Ms-PL infringes these patents and claims are asserted.
  • The retention of the copyright , all patents, trademarks and allocation rights of the software in the event of redistribution
  • A copyleft for the software under the Ms-PL when distributed as source code
  • When distributing in compiled form, a license must be selected that does not contradict the Ms-PL.
  • Disclaimer of liability

This makes it possible to place Ms-PL source code together with other licensed code as a derivative work under a new license. But only if these licenses do not contradict the Ms-PL. This makes the Ms-PL incompatible with the GPL . A commercial use , however, is simple.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/charlie/2007/10/23/open-source-initiative-approves-microsoft-licenses/
  2. ↑ OSI Approves Microsoft License Submissions
  3. ↑ http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses#ms-pl
  4. ↑ https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Microsoft-Chef-Ballmer-bezeich-Linux-als-Krebsgeschwuer-38381.html
  5. ↑ Microsoft Opensource FAQ (English)
  6. ↑ Microsoft's application to the OSI (English)