[OT]Microsoft makes networked software 'illegal' on XP unless you pay them...

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1

From
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/op/xml/02/03/18/020318oplivingston.xml

Microsoft's XP license agreement says, "Except as otherwise permitted by
the NetMeeting, Remote Assistance, and Remote Desktop features described
below, you may not use the Product to permit any Device to use, access,
display, or run other executable software residing on the Workstation
Computer, nor may you permit any Device to use, access, display, or run the
Product or Product's user interface, unless the Device has a separate
license for the Product."

I guess this improves security....

bye,
Bruce Williams
"Asking the wrong questions is the leading cause of wrong answers"

2

That's funny.

Yet another case of someone - either a company through licensing and
litigation, or a government through legislation - trying to effect both
software quality.

Forget the fact that such tools may be exploitable - if you're a computer
criminal, the fact you're violating a software license clause probably isn't
going to deter you from your actions, much like how 'drug crimes using a
gun' probably doesn't deter many drug criminals, either.

Instead of addressing the technical problem - eg, poor software development
and flaws in how the software works - we're once again seeing it
legislated/litigated away (I'm thinking of Adobe E-Reader, DeCSS, etc here).
Talk about burying your head in the sand, which appears to be the status
quo, even in today's environment of security hysteria where we 'need to do
more'.

From what I see here in DC, nobody's REALLY interested in addressing

security long term, as it will rock the boat too much; so we continue seeing
little goofy ways to look like security is being addressed when in reality,
security ISN'T being addressed.

rf
infowarrior.org
windows-free since 1999 :slight_smile:

3

Err--I think you guys are reading too much into this. The license (to
me, and IANAL), seems to indicate that the workstation cannot be used as
a server unless you purchase server licenses. It strikes me that
language very similar to this has been in the workstation products since
NT4.

I do, OTOH, think that the legal ramifications sounds quite far-reaching
since the language is so broad.

From: owner-nanog@merit.edu [mailto:owner-nanog@merit.edu] On
Behalf Of Richard Forno
Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2002 9:22 AM
To: brucewms@pacbell.net; Nanog (E-mail)
Subject: Re: [OT]Microsoft makes networked software 'illegal'
on XPunless you pay them...

That's funny.

Yet another case of someone - either a company through licensing and
litigation, or a government through legislation - trying to
effect both
software quality.

Forget the fact that such tools may be exploitable - if
you're a computer
criminal, the fact you're violating a software license clause
probably isn't
going to deter you from your actions, much like how 'drug
crimes using a
gun' probably doesn't deter many drug criminals, either.

Instead of addressing the technical problem - eg, poor
software development
and flaws in how the software works - we're once again seeing it
legislated/litigated away (I'm thinking of Adobe E-Reader,
DeCSS, etc here).
Talk about burying your head in the sand, which appears to be
the status
quo, even in today's environment of security hysteria where
we 'need to do
more'.

From what I see here in DC, nobody's REALLY interested in addressing
security long term, as it will rock the boat too much; so we
continue seeing
little goofy ways to look like security is being addressed
when in reality,
security ISN'T being addressed.

rf
infowarrior.org
windows-free since 1999 :slight_smile:

> From: Bruce Williams <brucewms@pacbell.net>
> From
>
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/op/xml/02/03/18/020318oplivi

ngston.xml

Microsoft's XP license agreement says, "Except as otherwise permitted

by

the NetMeeting, Remote Assistance, and Remote Desktop features

described

below, you may not use the Product to permit any Device to use,

access,

display, or run other executable software residing on the Workstation
Computer, nor may you permit any Device to use, access, display, or

run the

4

That's one possible reading. It could also be seen as making it illegal to run
products like PCAnywhere and VNC, or possibly even doing a PalmOS remote
hotsynch, without an additional license being purchased.

5

Programs made "illegal" by this license:

VNC
PCAnywhere
Apache (CGI)
IIS (CGI) <-- Weird, ain't it?
etc...

It could conceivably be applied to dedicated Quake servers and the like as
well.

Easy way to solve problem, don't run Wndows VMSNT2kXP :slight_smile:

Apologies for the non-op content, back to your regularly scheduled noc
pinging.

-S

6

Well, I think new MS XP licensing said something like the Win file/print
sharing can not be used by any GPL software, thus attempting to prevent
Linux et al from sitting on a Win network and using Win network
resources......but I forget where I heard that....maybe it was slashdot.

In MS case, it never hurts to read too much into their legaleese or business
cases. :slight_smile:

rf

7

I was thinking ISP provided PPPOE DSL modem software, DSLAM 'devices' - come
to think about it , really ANY non-Microsoft networking device/software
combination you might use that "uses, accesses or executes on" the box...
but who cares? - hasn't stopped or slowed one packet yet :slight_smile:

8

"yet" being the operative term here...

9

Microsoft's XP license agreement says, "Except as otherwise permitted
by the NetMeeting, Remote Assistance, and Remote Desktop features
described below, you may not use the Product to permit any Device to
use, access, display, or run other executable software residing on the
Workstation Computer, nor may you permit any Device to use, access,
display, or run the Product or Product's user interface, unless the
Device has a separate license for the Product."
I guess this improves security....

On the plus side - it gives you a whole new level of terrifying tools to
use against those who build a botnet on your network.
Get MS licencing after them for all those XP licences :slight_smile: