Also on this topic came the subject of diff files. IIRC someone wanted to include them to help users make use of Microsoft headers that needed a bit of tweaking.
Are diff files that are patches to Microsoft code legal to be distributed? They have bits of Microsoft code in them, but are they a derivative work?
Thanks, Scott Ritchie
On Tue, 2005-02-01 at 19:16 -0800, Ira Krakow wrote:
Jeremy,
I agree - this is an exciting development. Microsoft's ability to spread FUD and their legal budget are enormous. We need this kind of expert help.
Here's an area where I'd like an expert opinion. In the Winelib part of the Wine book, I'd like to include an example of converting a Microsoft VC++ 6.0 MFC application. This is Winelib's primary target, in my opinion. My question is: how far can I go? There are proprietary Microsoft header files that need to be included - does the Microsoft EULA allow disclosure of what these header files are? Or is it only legally safe to say something generic like "....figure out for yourself which header files you need to #include..."?
In general, I think Microsoft has to tread lightly on the issue of running Microsoft apps in Linux. Certainly, they're within their rights to hang up if a Linux/Winword user calls the help desk. But going after a company who legally pays for Winword licenses and runs Winword in Linux/Wine is another matter, bringing up the antitrust bogeyman again. Getting an expert legal opinion on this would be very useful. IMHO, even if Microsoft was legally on solid footing, it would be a huge PR disaster for them. Eventually, these issues will come to a head.
Ira