decoration decoration
Stories

GROKLAW
When you want to know more
but don't know where to look.
decoration
For layout only
Home
Archives
Site Map
Search
About Groklaw
Awards
Legal Research
Timelines
ArchiveExplorer
BK Timeline
Cast: Lawyers
Contracts
Courts
DRM
GPL
HTML How To
IBM Timeline
Legal Docs
MS Litigation
Novell Timeline
Novell v. MS
Novell-MS Deal
ODF/OOXML
OOXML Appeals
Patents
Quote Database
Salus Book
SCO
SCO Financials
SCO:Soup2Nuts
SCOBankruptcy
Sean Daly
Switch to Linux
Transcripts
Unix Books
Your contributions keep Groklaw going.

Amazon Honor  System Click Here to Pay Learn More

Groklaw Gear

Click here to send an email to the editor of this weblog.


User Functions

Username:

Password:

Don't have an account yet? Sign up as a New User

No Legal Advice

The information on Groklaw is not intended to constitute legal advice. PJ is a paralegal, not a lawyer. Even when lawyers write or contribute to articles, it is still not legal advice, because the lawyers authoring the articles are not your lawyers.

What's New

STORIES
2 stories in last 48 hours

COMMENTS last 48 hrs

Final Judgment in SCO v. No... [+57]

Answering Gene Quinn, Paten... [+18]

All Psystar's Counterclaims... [+32]

SCO Bankruptcy: SCO Withdra... [+81]

SCO and Novell Settle Const... [+38]

Bilski - What It Means, Par...



Sponsors

Hosting:
hosted by ibiblio

On servers donated to ibiblio by AMD.

Webmaster: MathFox
Microsoft emails Blender
Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 12:52 PM EDT

Microsoft has just approached the Blender guys, and I would assume have or will approach other FOSS projects since we learn that Microsoft has assigned a guy to work with Open Source projects, with a request for information on how to make Blender run better on Windows. Here's part of what Microsoft emailed to Blender:
With respect to Blender, what can you tell me about your community/user feedback that you have heard regarding file formats? Specifically, Microsoft is slowly shifting toward a more open standards based approach to its file formats. The ISO standard Office Open XML is an example of the direction we are moving towards. A good user experience of Blender on Windows is good for your project/community and good for Microsoft. What we are trying to understand is what file formats, which are not open or not fully open, are impeding the optimal experience with your community.

OOXML is an example of openness? They're kidding, right?

While on the surface, one might think this is an example of greater openness on Microsoft's part, I thought it would be probably a good time to point out Microsoft's competitive strategy against Linux and FOSS. I think this is an example of its announced strategy to "outsmart Linux", as Ballmer put it, using "openness" -- a Brand X, tilted version of it -- to do it.

Here's the overarching strategy Ballmer mentioned recently:

I would love to see all Open Source innovation happen on top of Windows. So we've done a lot to encourage, for example, the team building, PHP, the team building, many of the other Open Source components, I'd love to see those sorts of innovations proceed very successfully on top of Windows.

Because our battle is not sort of business model to business model. Our battle is product to product, Windows versus Linux, Office versus OpenOffice.

Get it? They view everything as a battle. "All Open Source innovation" means to him, I gather, that Windows runs the applications so well, the GNU/Linux operating system dies off. Who needs it? That's how they think, because they don't grasp any purpose to freedom for the code or for the end user. If you do, please watch out. The OOXML saga stands as a perfect example of how Microsoft plays to win, by hook or by crook. It is a "standard" that only Microsoft can fully use. That's not openness to me. Why don't they help the OpenOffice.org guys by telling them how to render Windows Office 2007 documents properly? Really. If openness is the goal, how about it, Microsoft? I know. I jest. Instead, Microsoft would like FOSS developers to cross over to Microsoft's eternally tilted playing field and lose its competitive advantage. They want Open Source applications to run better on Windows with the purpose of battling against GNU/Linux and FOSS more successfully. Want to help them?

I know. It's complex. But unless Microsoft also lets FOSS run Microsoft applications on Linux equally well as FOSS apps on Windows, it's not actually interoperability or openness, is it? It's a Microsoft advantage. "Ha ha, Linux, we outsmarted you," I can imagine them saying. Microsoft's idea of interoperability is that it runs everything just great, your stuff and theirs, and you can't. You can run your stuff great and their stuff in a hobbled and imperfect fashion that leads the ill-informed to conclude that Microsoft is "better".

There are more than just technical issues to think through, in other words. I'm just saying consider the entire picture. Microsoft is. Here's where, in 2002, Ballmer said Microsoft would outsmart Linux, using increased 'openness' as part of that plan.

The bottom line is this: if Microsoft wants interoperability, all it has to do is follow true standards, and by that I mean ones that don't allow proprietary extensions the way OOXML does, and open up their APIs so everyone is on the same page. Their goal, however, isn't true interoperability. It's to have Windows do everything, including running Linux applications, better than anyone else. Why should you settle for Brand X "interoperability"?

They will very likely also use such reaching out to projects in their defense before the EU Commission, so unless you wish to be used that way, think deeply about your response. I understand that there is a very fine line to be drawn, but while Microsoft says it will "outsmart Linux", I don't believe that is possible if you stay alert. Most of the brainiacs, in my experience, are here, not there. But because there is no central management to plan and react to their competitive strategies, they might be successful in their overarching aim to destroy Linux and FOSS, if no one thinks these types of issues through carefully. Happily, Blender is GPL'd, but so is Linux, and we saw how Novell got snookered. It's natural to want your applications to run better on all operating systems. But if the end result is the Extinguishing of FOSS as we know it, what have you done?

You will likely find the responses on the Blender list of interest, as you follow the thread. Here's the very first comment:

I would not touch that with a barge pole. MS XML is an example that they are not moving on that issue, or they would support ODF, not using dirty tactics to force an half-backed non open standard.

They have an history to use one OSS group against another too.

Blender is in a position where we do not depend on any MS backed format, so I think we should be very careful to stay neutral in those areas.

And the next:

Personally I don't see why specific attention should be given to proprietary Microsoft file formats. If they continue to avoid truly open standards and their own file formats provide a sub-optimal experience for Windows users, then it is not the open source community that has a problem imho.

I don't see Microsoft making it easy for Mac, Sun, Linux etc users to use their "file formats, which are not open or not fully open". Any multi platform application which has support for Windows specific file formats is going to end up with a fragmented community as data then becomes platform specific even if the application isn't.

Do we want to help Microsoft lock more users data to their platform, or do we want to encourage Microsoft to truly move towards open standards?


  


Microsoft emails Blender | 272 comments | Create New Account
Comments belong to whoever posts them. Please notify us of inappropriate comments.
Will they fall for it?
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 01:00 PM EDT
It looks like a big wooden horse to me.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Corrections
Authored by: ankylosaurus on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 01:03 PM EDT
Please use a meaningful title, such as "mitsake -> mistake".

---
The Dinosaur with a Club at the End of its Tail

[ Reply to This | # ]

  • team building - Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 01:16 PM EDT
Off Topic
Authored by: Holocene Epoch on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 01:03 PM EDT
You know what goes here

[ Reply to This | # ]

New Items
Authored by: Holocene Epoch on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 01:05 PM EDT
Please use the article name in the title line. And remember the rules for
clickies

[ Reply to This | # ]

M$ is plain weird
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 01:11 PM EDT
I wonder, How OOXML is related to Blender, and why a Blender developer wants to
know more about OOXML.
Maybe i'm ignorant, but this is really mind boggling for me.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Hoist of their own petard
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 01:22 PM EDT
I have no doubt that Microsoft really wants to see Open Source projects target
running on Windows. Otherwise they've got a lot of work to do trying to keep
up.

Unfortunately for them, all the things they've done to hinder commercial
competition also impedes Open Source projects. It's also created the disaster
which is called Vista.

Nice to see them starting to realize they're getting just what they deserve :-)


Sadly I doubt that they're anywhere close to "playing well with
others", but if the Blender developers ask for information about file
formats and a covenant not to sue over any relevant patents they might begin to
consider behaving better.

rhb

[ Reply to This | # ]

Standard Response to Microsoft
Authored by: bbaston on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 01:33 PM EDT
Just cut and past, guys and gals:
Yes, Microsoft, we have a format problem which interferes with interoperability of our GPL project with your operating system. However, the solution is simple. Just send us the full format specifications for all your products - and we'll work it out on this end.

If you like, please include an "all patents are waivered" statement - but that is optional as we can work around or invalidate any patents you might claim anyway.

PS - don't forget to forward every change to your format specifications too.

Yours truly,
Open Source Project Manager

---
IMBW, IANAL2, IMHO, IAVO
imaybewrong, iamnotalawyertoo, inmyhumbleopinion, iamveryold

[ Reply to This | # ]

"Use OpenGL"
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 01:41 PM EDT
That's surely the answer needed. Don't cripple it and hang it over DirectX, use
OpenGL.

A 3D application never uses the widget/look'nfeel of the host OS because any 3D
application is already having to work against a multi-dimensional problem space
with 2D output and 2D (or 1D) inputs.

So, MS, if you want Blender to work better on Windows, use OpenGL.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Its a ...
Authored by: SilverWave on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 01:54 PM EDT
http://elitemrp.net/iat/

knock your selves out ;)

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c252/cholizo/its-a-trap.gif

---
Phorm is highly intrusive - it's like the P.O. opening all my letters to see
what I'm interested in, merely so that I can be sent a better class of junk
mail.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Microsoft emails Blender
Authored by: vruz on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 01:55 PM EDT
Blender runs just fine on Windows, and has been doing so for years without
Microsoft's "help".

One should ask, what's in it for Microsoft ?

The only way Microsoft can help is by letting us be, respect our culture, our
copyrights.

Keep the change.

Thanks, but no, thanks.

And a honest suggestion to Microsoft: focus on your products and do something
about the lame state of your company and the awful treatment you give to your
customers.

We'll be alright.



---
--- the vruz

[ Reply to This | # ]

Microsoft Price and Feature Fixing Agreement with Hardware Vendors - A Cartel
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 02:14 PM EDT
Hey people, you should all read this Wikipedia article on Cartels. Specially the European Union part. Whoever has the ability to talk to the right people at the European Union this is the time to do it.

It starts with:

The EU's competition law explicitly forbids cartels and related practices in its article 81 of the Treaty of Rome.

1. The following shall be prohibited as incompatible with the common market: all agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerted practices which may affect trade between Member States and which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the common market, and in particular those which:

(a) directly or indirectly fix purchase or selling prices or any other trading conditions;

(b) limit or control production, markets, technical development, or investment;

(c) share markets or sources of supply;

(d) apply dissimilar conditions to equivalent transactions with other trading parties, thereby placing them at a competitive disadvantage;

(e) make the conclusion of contracts subject to acceptance by the other parties of supplementary obligations which, by their nature or according to commercial usage, have no connection with the subject of such contracts.

In one way they hope to get out of paying the fine:

Microsoft Appeals €899M Fine

On the other:

Microsoft to Limit Capabilities of Cheap Laptops

Microsoft plans to offer PC makers steep discounts on Windows XP Home Edition to encourage them to use that OS instead of Linux on ultra low-cost PCs (ULPCs). To be eligible, however, the PC vendors that make ULPCs must limit screen sizes to 10.2 inches and hard drives to 80G bytes, and they cannot offer touch-screen PCs.

The program is outlined in confidential documents that Microsoft sent to PC makers last month, and which were obtained by IDG News Service....

Microsoft hopes to secure its place in the ULPC market and reduce the use of Linux, according to an official at one PC maker, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to discuss the program.

"[Low-cost PC makers] have made some good inroads with open-source, and Microsoft wants to put a stop to it," the official said.

Clearly, instead of dropping the fines, the European Union should start thinking on others ways to punish Microsoft for their anti-competitive behaviour.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Open Source the FBX file format
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 02:15 PM EDT
Ask them to document and open source tools to read/write the FBX file format.

FBX is the 3D file format of choice of Microsoft and Autodesk, and as far as I know the tools are closed source, which hinders free developers.

[ Reply to This | # ]

The brutal reply - better MS support for KDE4 or GTK2
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 02:19 PM EDT
The brutal reply - better MS support for KDE4 or GTK2.

I'm not sure if that is what MS had in mind though.

_

[ Reply to This | # ]

Microsoft emails Blender
Authored by: Steve Martin on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 02:34 PM EDT

Because our battle is not sort of business model to business model. Our battle is product to product, Windows versus Linux, Office versus OpenOffice.

Which makes me wonder right off why Microsoft even cares about Blender. Microsoft is not in the 3D content production business. "Product to product", indeed. What's really on your mind, Mr. Ballmer?

---
"When I say something, I put my name next to it." -- Isaac Jaffe, "Sports Night"

[ Reply to This | # ]

MS looking for free labor, because their own people don't have what it takes
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 02:45 PM EDT

How much would it cost Microsoft to employ the open
software community? MS's people are too busy trying
to please the boss to write decent apps. FOSS developers
are only trying to please their users.

Look at Microsoft's most recent failures:

-- Vista
-- OOXML
-- XP SP3

All of them are essentially unusable. Why would you entrust
your business to these people?

Maybe I'm a little too harsh on Microsoft's code writers. Maybe
they do have what it takes. But Ballmer and Gates won't let
them.

Microsoft's comments are aimed at governments, not their own
customers. Microsoft can't win new customers, so it will have
to bribe governments to force their citizens to use Microsoft.

My frame of reference for Microsoft are the U.S. automakers.
Toyota, Nissan and the German automakers captured U.S.
customers with quality, while U.S. quality declined.

Microsoft is following the same path as U.S. automakers.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Microsoft emails Blender
Authored by: lordshipmayhem on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 03:22 PM EDT
Am I the only one who looked at the headline and wondered why Microsoft was
e-mailing a character from Futurama?

...and then deciding that considering the somewhat nebulous morality of
Blender's character on that show, considering it to be entirely appropriate to
be offering him Ballmer's position...

[ Reply to This | # ]

  • typo? - Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 05:52 PM EDT
It's time to name this $trategy ...
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 03:33 PM EDT
We're all familiar with "FUD" and "Embrace, Extend,
Extinguish" as descriptive names for MS's proven
strategies (as in proven to work, and proven that they do
it).

But this needs a new name. The old ones don't quite fit,
and their names lack punch.

I suggest "Lulu" or "Lulu Lock": Lure, Lull, Lock.

You can see them doing it all over the landscape lately,
and it isn't pretty.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Microsoft emails Blender
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 03:34 PM EDT
Maybe they should suggest to Microsoft to buy Autodesk to really open Autodesk
format, the later being (supposedly) one of the huge barriers of adoption of
Free Software in CAD.



- H

[ Reply to This | # ]

Microsoft emails Blender
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 03:34 PM EDT
"I would love to see all Open Source innovation happen on top of Windows.
"

But I thought that OSS never innovated. We just copy you. Isnt that what you
said in the past? The best thing we can do to Microsoft is just ignore them.
Exclude them from the market.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Openness is to open as freshness is to fresh
Authored by: gdeinsta on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 04:43 PM EDT

Ever noticed that packaged bread companies never advertise that their product is "fresh"? That's because "fresh" means made this morning. So they advertise "freshness", which means precisely that their bread is not fresh.

So too with "open" and "openness".

BTW this is what Orwell meant by doublespeak. He had worked as a copy writer, so he knew all about it.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Microsoft emails Blender
Authored by: joef on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 04:47 PM EDT
If Microsoft really wants FOSS applications to work on their platforms, it's quite simple. All they have to do is top provide the resources and authority for their own employees to work on the projects. These individuals simply join the projects and start contributing. They contribute on the same basis as other contributors, and under the same license. Are there any projects that would deny their participation under these groundrules?

[ Reply to This | # ]

Divide and conquer
Authored by: mikeprotts on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 05:14 PM EDT
Classic tactics, but poor strategy.

Divide and conquer relies on the opponent having the same goals, i.e. vanquish
the opposition. For a battle you may pick up some easy wins, but the FOSS
vision doesn't have a winner/loser mentality. Every one wins with FOSS, and
every one loses without, so the long term will favour FOSS, even if there are
some casualties on the way. Think of vi vs emacs, KDE vs gnome. There is no
loser, as the best is shared, and the preferences are kept. With proprietary
the commercially viable is kept, the best and the preferences are irellivant.

Accepting that there is a choice is so difficult for some companies, but choice
and freedom are always the winners in the end. It may be a painful path but it
is the one that prevails.

If you want to change a system you have to become part of the system, and with
FOSS becoming part of the system means you accept it, so changes can only be for
the good. That is where non FOSS companies can't cope, so are doomed to
failure.

Cheers
Mike

[ Reply to This | # ]

Another good example of why nobody should ever trust Microsoft
Authored by: TiddlyPom on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 06:18 PM EDT
I know it hardly need to be said here but there are so many people who do trust Microsoft. I did for a number of years and when I discovered how devious they are it opened my eyes. I saw this in a small way when I worked with a team producing an intra-net application for banks and building societies for booking appointments (with searches across multiple branches).

We started with a clean slate and could have used either Java or (as it was then) the recently released C# .NET (1.0). Microsoft claimed that they would help fund the development of the new system *if* it was written in C# rather than Java. Most of the banks used Java so in many ways this would have been lower risk although my colleagues had been using VB6 in the previous project so using Microsoft products was also seen as a lower risk. Inevitably we used C# for ASPX pages rather than Java Servlet Pages (although in hindsight I do not think that JSP would have been any harder than ASPX and the language itself is almost identical). Of course the funding never materialized and I expect that it never would have. The application was pretty successful in its own field but rather specialized so had no mass market appeal. I suspect that Microsoft would have tried to buy it out if it had had more mass market appeal. As the more open source/cross platform friendly member of the team, I felt betrayed and rather angry. Microsoft would (of course) just chalk this up as another victory for them.

I am (as I type) in the process of setting up my Father's PC as dual boot between Windows XP and 64 bit Ubuntu and I swear this will be the last Windows PC I build. If this was not for my Father then I would have refused to load any Microsoft operating systems (and indeed I did try and persuade him to make this Ubuntu-only). These days I find myself hating Microsoft with every fiber of my being simply because of what they do. They will do *anything* (however underhanded or devious) to remain in power (by which I mean retain market share) and the Blender team should *never* trust them no matter how meek and gracious they might seem.

---
Open Source Software - Unpicking the Microsoft monopoly piece-by-piece.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Microsoft emails Blender
Authored by: Toon Moene on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 06:27 PM EDT
OK, lets have a vote.

How many of you read this as:

Microsoft email blunder.

(in the sense that a ... hmmm how will I put this ... sensitive e-mail in the
Sarbany-Ox sense was accidentily discovered during one of the many lawsuits MS
is involved in).

---
Toon Moene (A GNU Fortran maintainer and physicist at large)

[ Reply to This | # ]

Microsoft emails Blender
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 06:38 PM EDT
I just wanted to comment on the first bit of text quoted, I read it as what new
file formats can we rush to patent to hamper your development. I did actually
laugh out loud when I read the bit about OOXML been giving' as an example of
increased interest in open standards.

What I like about reading tech news over the last few years is that Microsoft
doesn't get that increasingly 'people don't care' what they do,
we're finding alternatives. (maybe slowly but very steadily).

[ Reply to This | # ]

gpl3?
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 06:54 PM EDT
If it isn't already (i only see version 2 license on blender.org), they should
probably accelerate any consideration of upgrading to version 3.

That ms are even flirting with a gpl product is quite amazing really, but gpl3
might just make sure they cannot subvert it also.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Microsoft can't lose?
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 07:11 PM EDT
The OOXML thing, now this.. It strikes me as something that MS can't lose
doing.

If they 'win' then they get their way.. in this case, who knows what they plan?
A nice big fat cheque offering to the Blender guys to move to the "all new
MS 3d file format" ?

If they 'lose' (ignored, criticized) then they can play the 'poor me, we keep
trying to extend our hand but they keep ignoring/criticizing us' line.. and then
they can just do whatever the hell they want (which they would have anyhow) but
all the while playing the 'poor me' card to offset their evil doings.

It may well be a smart move from a business sense but it's been said a thousand
times - actions speak louder then words and MS's actions, time and time again,
show themselves for what they really are.

[ Reply to This | # ]

More open than they realise
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 07:21 PM EDT
While PJ is pointing to the 'battle' mentality of Ballmer and his merry barons,
I think the initial query contains a comment that is more honest and
straightforward than was intended:

<i>'The ISO standard Office Open XML is an example of the direction we are
moving towards.'</i>

What more need be said?

[ Reply to This | # ]

An Excellent Business Model!
Authored by: argee on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 07:39 PM EDT
Blender runs on Windows, therefore ...
Linux is not needed. Therefore ...
People stay with Windows. Therefore ...
Try to change Blender from GPL to BSD. Therefore ...
Microsoft can take the Blender Code, and
put it into Windows. Therefore ...
Profit!

An Excellent Business Model!
Those MS Guys are good!
And its good for the economy!


---
--
argee

[ Reply to This | # ]

Microsoft email BLUNder?
Authored by: SirHumphrey on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 08:36 PM EDT
Feeeeeeeeeeeeeel the EMBRACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ Reply to This | # ]

The way MS sees Open Source
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 09:25 PM EDT
Their view of open source is this:

(1) We use them to develop for us and on our platform.
(2) They are to be stunted by any means.
(3) They're a threat to our business model.

So whatever gestures they make to open source, it is often filled with catches,
conditions, and hidden agendas. They're really not worth doing business with in
the long run. They're not interested in genuinely working with people and being
part of a community. In fact, they've even tried to create their own imitation
of open source! Heck, even re-defined the term "open" to suit their
business!

They are only interested in getting leverage over others. ie: To get control and
to do anything to maintain control.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Who did what?
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 09:46 PM EDT
Sorry, but this just looks suspicious to me. Am I really supposed to believe
this story? Who is Ton Roosendaal and who exactly did he contact a Microsoft?
Has any of this been verified?

[ Reply to This | # ]

Microsoft emails Blender
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 10:53 PM EDT
Get it? They view everything as a battle. "All Open Source innovation" means to him, I gather, that Windows runs the applications so well, the GNU/Linux operating system dies off.

If that's the plan then I think they are going to be disappointed. The easiest people by far to move to Linux are ones that already run FOSS apps. on their Windows boxes. Of course it's in MS's best interest to support those FOSS apps. that don't already have popular propriatary competition on Windows (like blender) and it's in our best interest to support those apps. that do (Gimp, Apache, OO etc).

[ Reply to This | # ]

Why Blender?
Authored by: rsteinmetz70112 on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 11:28 PM EDT
Blender is a cabable application but is is not dominate in any market I'm
familiar with.

So why is Blender targeted for this special attention?

---
Rsteinmetz - IANAL therefore my opinions are illegal.

"I could be wrong now, but I don't think so."
Randy Newman - The Title Theme from Monk

[ Reply to This | # ]

No problem
Authored by: overshoot on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 11:29 PM EDT
And in reply:

Blender is an open-source project. As with all open source projects, our roadmap is driven by the needs that our development community perceives --- "scratching an itch" is the common phrase.

Microsoft apparently "itches" to add support for more file formats to Blender. This is good, as we understand that Microsoft also employs programmers who are intimately familiar with those file formats. By all means submit your code supporting them to the project.

As always, we do require that you legally license your submission compatibly.

Thank you for your inquiry,

etc.

[ Reply to This | # ]

  • No problem - Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, May 12 2008 @ 03:42 AM EDT
  • and this... - Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, May 12 2008 @ 09:09 AM EDT
Microsoft emails Blender
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 11:35 PM EDT
Just say NO!

[ Reply to This | # ]

Microsoft emails Blender
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, May 12 2008 @ 12:11 AM EDT
When M$ approaches you remember that they are doing so not for your benefit but
for theirs. Don't trust them, and don't sign a deal with them.

[ Reply to This | # ]