microsoft-verdict.html (5916B)
1 <!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" --> 2 <!-- Parent-Version: 1.96 --> 3 <!-- This page is derived from /server/standards/boilerplate.html --> 4 <!--#set var="TAGS" value="essays cultural evils" --> 5 <!--#set var="DISABLE_TOP_ADDENDUM" value="yes" --> 6 <title>On the Microsoft Verdict - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title> 7 <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/po/microsoft-verdict.translist" --> 8 <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" --> 9 <!--#include virtual="/philosophy/ph-breadcrumb.html" --> 10 <!--GNUN: OUT-OF-DATE NOTICE--> 11 <!--#include virtual="/server/top-addendum.html" --> 12 <div class="article reduced-width"> 13 <h2>On the Microsoft Verdict</h2> 14 <div class="thin"></div> 15 16 <p> 17 Many 18 <a href="/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html">GNU/Linux</a> 19 users think of the system as competition for Microsoft. 20 But the Free Software Movement aims to solve a problem that is much 21 bigger than Microsoft: proprietary, nonfree software, designed to 22 keep users helpless and prohibit cooperation. Microsoft is the 23 largest developer of such software, but many other companies treat the 24 users' freedom just as badly; if they have not shackled as many users 25 as Microsoft, it is not for lack of trying.</p> 26 <p> 27 Since Microsoft is just a part of the problem, its defeat in the 28 anti-trust lawsuit is not necessarily a victory for free software. 29 Whether the outcome of this suit helps free software and promotes 30 users' freedom depends of the specific remedies imposed on Microsoft 31 by the judge.</p> 32 <p> 33 If the remedies are designed to enable other companies compete in 34 offering proprietary, nonfree software, that will do the Free World 35 no particular good. Alternative possible masters is not freedom. And 36 competition could lead them to do a “better” job, better 37 in a narrow technical sense; then it could be harder for us to 38 “compete” with them technically. We will continue to 39 offer the user one thing those companies do 40 not—freedom—and users who value freedom will continue to 41 choose free software for that reason. But users who do not value 42 freedom, and choose a system based on mere convenience, might be 43 enticed away to “improved” proprietary systems.</p> 44 <p> 45 Splitting Microsoft into separate companies could also endanger free 46 software, because these smaller companies, no longer held in check by 47 the public readiness to condemn Microsoft, might see fit to attack 48 free software more harshly than the present unified Microsoft does.</p> 49 <p> 50 I've 51 <a href="/philosophy/microsoft-antitrust.html">proposed remedies</a> 52 for this case that would help free software compete with Microsoft: 53 for example, requiring Microsoft to publish documentation for all 54 interfaces, and to use patents only for defense, not for aggression. 55 These remedies would block the use of the weapons that Microsoft plans 56 to use against us (according to the “Halloween documents” 57 leaked from within Microsoft which spelled out how they plan to impede 58 development of the GNU/Linux system).</p> 59 <p> 60 When we see what remedies the judge chooses, we will get an idea of 61 whether the case has been helpful or harmful to the Free Software 62 Movement.</p> 63 </div> 64 65 </div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above --> 66 67 <!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" --> 68 <div id="footer" role="contentinfo"> 69 <div class="unprintable"> 70 71 <p>Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to 72 <a href="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. 73 There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a> 74 the FSF. 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