Re: Part of the Microsoft Agreement

["Glenn T. Livezey" <glivezey@netserv.unmc.edu>]

  On Sun, 7 Dec 1997 23:52:22 -0500 (EST), Christopher Pall wrote:
  
  >When you download MS IE this is part of the agreement you click on. I
  >couldn't make this stuff up! I think Microsoft should include this
  >message along with the sale of NT while replacing Java with NT whereever
  >it occurs. This is just in poor taste.
  
  Poor taste? - you must mistake M$ for someone who cares (or even knows) what 
  constitutes poor taste. This is classic material for a parody or satire and I'd LOVE
  to see what part of M$'s license agreements states or implies that THEIR software
  is waranteed against failure "in hazardous environments" or any other kind since
  their specialty is distribution of swisscheese code. Perhaps someone with more
  familiarity (I'd be hard pressed to find one of their licenses since I avoid their products
  like the digital plague) could provide the relevant passages where they insure or deny
  any responsibility for the performance of their own code. 
  
  
  >7. NOTE ON JAVA SUPPORT.  The SOFTWARE PRODUCT may contain support for
  >programs written in Java.  Java technology is not fault tolerant and  is
  >not designed, manufactured, or intended for use or resale as on-line
  >control equipment in hazardous environments requiring fail-safe
  >performance, such as in the operation of nuclear facilities, aircraft
  >navigation or communication systems, air traffic control, direct life
  >support machines, or weapons systems, in which the failure of Java
  >technology could lead directly to death, personal injury, or severe
  >physical or environmental damage.
  
  
  
  >Also in the contract:
  >* Prohibition on Reverse Engineering, Decompilation, and Disassembly.
  >You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the SOFTWARE
  >PRODUCT, except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly
  >permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation.
  
  Good Lord, what mental disease could possibly convince you to do such a thing
  (unless you were looking for YOUR OWN STOLEN code included in the "product").
  
  >Also in the contract:
  >DCOM95.  You may only use copies of the DCOM95 component on computer(s)
  >for which you have licensed Microsoft Windows operating system
  >platforms. What does this mean? Why is it necessary to mention DCOM95 in
  >particular?
  
  Good question, maybe it points to the legal-but-barely nature of M$ methods of
  tying subsequent products to its "OS" - (quotations intentional given the nature of
  the code as a kind of GUI/Shell tumor growing out of DOS).
  
  CP - Thanks for this contribution.
  
  
  
  Glenn T. Livezey, Ph.D.
  Director of Perinatal Research
  Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
  University of Nebraska Medical Center
  600 South 42nd Street
  Omaha, NE 68198-3255
  Phone- 402-559-8064
  FAX- 402-559-7126
  e-mail glivezey@netserv.unmc.edu