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Fwd: Sender-ID and free software

2004-07-24 12:58:31
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Folks,

Let me forward here this message that I just got from R.M.S., and that he sent 
as well to the IETF MARID WG <ietf-mxcomp(_at_)imc(_dot_)org> Mailing-List.

I'm sorry that the message is not GPG-signed by Richard, but at least this 
forward is signed by me ;-)

Those of you who also are subscribers to ietf-mxcomp as well have already seen 
it there, and can check the headers, thus determine that this message is 
authentic.

I'm real happy to see Richard speak on the subject, so let's see what he says:

Michel Bouissou <michel(_at_)bouissou(_dot_)net> OpenPGP ID 0xDDE8AC6E


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Subject: Sender-ID and free software
Date: samedi 24 Juillet 2004 21:43
From: Richard Stallman <rms(_at_)gnu(_dot_)org>
To: Michel Bouissou <michel(_at_)bouissou(_dot_)net>
Cc: team(_at_)fsfeurope(_dot_)org

(Michel, I am not a member of this list, so would you please
forward my message if it does not go through?)

Microsoft's Sender-ID license is directly incompatible with free
software regardless of which free software license is used.  Free
software means users are free to run it, study and modify the source,
and to redistribute it with or without changes.  Free to do so means
there is no requirement to ask or tell anyone that you are doing so.

The Microsoft license for Sender-ID directly forbids release of
software with all these freedoms, so it is impossible for any program
to be free software under Microsoft's regime.

I've been expecting to see something like this ever since Gates
started talking about spam.  This license is an example of Microsoft's
strategy for killing off free software as an alternative to Windows.
Microsoft first patents something, then incorporates it into a format
or protocol, then tries to make it de rigueur while excluding those it
wishes to exclude.  In the absence of resistance, Microsoft has a good
chance of imposing whatever standards it likes.  Let us, therefore,
resist it here and now.

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