Shared source#Microsoft Public License .28Ms-PL.29

The Microsoft Public License, shortly Ms- PL is an open -source license from Microsoft with a weak copyleft. It is one of the first open source licenses from Microsoft. It was just like the Ms- RL approved by the OSI on 12 October 2007 as open source. In order for these two licenses are the first licenses from Microsoft that meet all 10 criteria of the OSI. Recognition as an open- source license was applied for on 10 August 2007 under the name Microsoft Permissive License. The Free Software Foundation recognizes it as a free software license, but are deemed to be incompatible with the GNU General Public License ( GPL) and therefore does not recommend the use. In the past, Microsoft was rather struck by a massive rejection of open source. So the CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer formulated once that Linux is a cancer that affects all intellectual property in terms of what it touches. He speaks thus to the viral Licensing ( strong copyleft ) of many free software products through the GPL and other licenses, which require that the release of the software, which refer advantages of this software licenses must be held under the same license.

The reason for this change of strategy can be found in the company's 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 the opportunities for business partners, regardless of their underlying development model. It also includes increasing the opportunities for developers, new knowledge and creativity by connecting community - oriented open source with traditional commercial approaches to software development to recoup. "

Microsoft, however, has decided by its own account, to use already existing open source licenses, as they did not meet their expectations in terms of patents and trademarks. In addition, the new license " simple, short and easy to understand " should be. Otherwise, the Ms- PL -oriented content to the new BSD license, the Apache License Version 2.0 and the Mozilla Public License.

Content

• The prohibition of unauthorized use of Trademarks, logos or names of ( co) creators of the software.
• The termination of a license granted by the patent holder license if violated these patents by a licensee under the Ms- PL used software and claims are asserted.
• The copyright retention, all patents, trademarks and allocation rights in the Software proliferation
• A copyleft for the areas under the Ms- PL software for distribution as source code
• Redistributions in compiled form, a license must be chosen that does not contradict the Ms- PL.
• Disclaimer

This makes it possible to ask Ms- PL source along with other licensed code as a derivative work under a new license. But only if these licenses the Ms- PL does not contradict. This makes the Ms- PL incompatible with the GPL. Any commercial use, however, is easily possible.