[Kai Blin <blin@xxxxxxx>]

On Saturday 23 February 2008 00:55:15 Richard Stern wrote:
> Kai Blin wrote:
> > Hi folks,
> >
> > now that Microsoft opened up a lot of protocols, I decided to improve the
> > DirectPlay dissector that so far only contains what I managed to reverse
> > engineer myself. After hacking on this for quite some time today and
> > realized that I got a bit carried away and the patch was growing pretty
> > big.
>
> Can I urge caution in using the Microsoft documents.
>
> Before using the information, before even reading the information, please
> read the terms and conditions those documents are released under.

Thanks for the hint. As a Wine and Samba developer I naturally have no idea 
how to deal with Microsoft documentation.

> The Microsoft announcement itself indicates there are limitations on what
> can be done with code written with knowledge of the released documents and
> what claims Microsoft may consider it had over that code (patents,
> royalties, etc).

To quote from the cover sheet of the document I used:
Intellectual Property Rights Notice for Protocol Documentation

* This protocol documentation is covered by Microsoft copyrights. Regardless 
of any other terms that are contained in the terms of use for the Microsoft 
website that hosts this documentation, you may make copies of it in order to 
develop implementations of the protocols, and may distribute portions of it 
in your implementations of the protocols or your documentation as necessary 
to properly document the implementation. This permission also applies to any 
documents that are referenced in the protocol documentation.

* Microsoft does not claim any trade secret rights in this documentation.

* Microsoft has patents that may cover your implementations of the protocols. 
Neither this notice nor Microsoft's delivery of the documentation grants any 
licenses under those or any other Microsoft patents. If you are interested in 
obtaining a patent license, please contact protocol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.

* The names of companies and products contained in this documentation may be 
covered by trademarks or similar intellectual property rights. This notice 
does not grant any licenses under those rights.

* All other rights are reserved, and this notice does not grant any rights 
other than specifically described above, whether by implication, estoppel, or 
otherwise.

> I am not yet a contributor to Wireshark, I hope to become one, albeit in
> only a small way but I hope all who read this will pause to read the
> Microsoft T's & C's first.  I have only read the announcement and there is
> enough in that to stop me from using the Microsoft documents, both
> professionally and in my hobby.

Now, the usual IANAL disclaimer applies, but these conditions don't look worse 
than the WSPP agreement, just that you don't have to shell out 10,000 bucks 
for it and don't get correction assistance.

Cheers,
Kai

-- 
Kai Blin
WorldForge developer  http://www.worldforge.org/
Wine developer        http://wiki.winehq.org/KaiBlin
Samba team member     http://www.samba.org/samba/team/
--
Will code for cotton.

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