[ANNOUNCEMENT] Microsoft to GPL its source code

[William Gates]

We have recently chosen to open up our source because it makes good business 
sense for us at this time. Here are some of the reasons:

The availability of the source code and the right to modify it is very 
important. It enables us to tap into the unlimited programming resources 
available to tune and improve our software products.

The right to redistribute modifications and improvements to the code, and to 
reuse other open source code, permits all the advantages due to the 
modifiability of the software to be shared by large communities, communities 
we learned that we need to embrace, under certain conditions.

The point that differentiates open source software licences from our past 
licenses is modifiability. In substance, the fact that redistribution rights 
cannot be revoked, and that they are universal, is what attracts a 
substantial crowd of developers to work around open source software 
projects, and we welcome them.

We have decided that we would like help to improve the quality of our 
products, and to improve their functionality. Which, once more, will cause 
more and more users give the product a try, and probably to use it 
regularly.

Now this is only a temporary GPL. We have slightly modified our licenses to 
open the source for a limited time period. One the time period expires, all 
rights to the code, as well as deriviatives, revert back to Microsoft.

William Gates

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