On 2012-11-19 6:54 AM, M Henri Day <mhenriday@gmail.com> wrote:
2012/11/19 Tanstaafl<tanstaafl@libertytrek.org>
<snip>
I don't see this happening any more. Microsoft is on a roll now, coming out with new versions *far* more often than they used to (which means they can 'improve' the file formats much more often). My understanding is they are actually pushing ultimately to a subscriptions based model - but this could end up being good news, because imnsho, dong this could actually back fire on them though (fingers crossed)... when I discussed this with my boss, he commented that the day Microsoft *forces* us to have to 'renew' our licenses annually is the day he will never upgrade again (just stay on whatever version we currently have until the world ends).
An excellent exposition of the methods used by Microsoft to «protect» its «intellectual property» - more accurately described as using its quasi-monopoly to exclude others from the market....
There is one more hing that could turn this around - if the EU (or some other major governmental entity) were to engage in and win an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft and force them to *fully* document their file formats, as happened with their Windows Server SMB protocols (which I understand has benefited the Samba project immensely).
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