Re: this affects DotGNU (was: this doesn't affect DotGNU (was Re:[DotGNU]New addendum for MS redistributables))

[Gopal.V]

If memory serves me right, James Michael DuPont wrote:
> the licence that you agreed to by opening the package it the one you are
> bound to. Or am I missing somthing here?

      "2. TERM OF AGREEMENT.  The term of this Agreement shall 
          commence as of the date Recipient indicates acceptance of 
          its terms by following the online acceptance procedure and 
          installing the Product.  The Agreement shall continue in 
          effect unless terminated by Microsoft in writing at any 
          time, with or without cause.  Upon the termination of this 
          Agreement, Recipient shall promptly return to Microsoft, or 
          certify destruction of, all full or partial copies of the 
          Product provided by Microsoft."

        Does *this* answer your question ?. The redistributable license
can be cancelled in this way (and you agreed to this in every EULA since
Win 3.1).

> A dump of the signatures from IL would effect the same as a dump of the
> header files, that would not be covered under reverse engineering.

    The key word is "dump" . That can be called "Reverse Engineering"
by MS lawyers -- which is "expressly" prohibited.

> Otherwise wine could never include the windows headers almost 1-1. 

    The WINE project used *published* documentation for Win32 API.
(but it has some undocumented features that you can't brag about)

> You are allowed to use the headers to create your own implementation 
> as far as I see. You can take their implementation and run with it.

    The license is a minefield for such an attempt. The "use" word is
defined differently in the "Redmond to English" dictionary.

> a theoretical discussion, because we are talking about licencing.
    
    Yes, you will really appreciate GNU only after reading and 
understanding MS EULA . It took me a lot of help from my father 
to get it right. (he is a law graduate).

    Also according to the EULA -- the printed version supercedes
any on-screen EULA. This on-screen version is just like a preamble
to the restrictions -- In the printed version the words like "install",
"copy","use","reproduce","reverse engineer" etc are defined.

Gopal.V

PS: I am tempted to start my famous "Would you use a car , if......you
    would be arrested for looking under the hood, you would be fined for
    repairing a flat ...." speech. ;)
-- 
 The difference between insanity and genius is only measured by success
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