Overview
Microsoft’s Shared Source
Initiative is a balanced approach that makes source code broadly available
while preserving the intellectual property rights that have sustained
innovation and growth throughout the software industry over the past
quarter-century. The Shared Source Initiative is a framework that supports a
spectrum of programs and licenses offered by Microsoft to various communities
of customers, partners, developers and other interested individuals. The Shared
Source Initiative fosters technical innovation and brings value to businesses.
Each source licensing program is tailored to the specific source-access needs
of a particular Microsoft constituent community.
Objectives:
•
Bolster the success of
customers, partners, developers and others by affording them expanded access to
source code;
•
Enrich the development
community by providing the tools it needs to produce outstanding software;
•
Improve feedback
processes that play a critical role in developing better Microsoft products for
both businesses and consumers;
•
Ensure the integrity of
Microsoft customers’ programming environments;
•
Enhance educational
opportunities and cultivate a vigorous software industry of the future by
placing technology in the hands of universities throughout the world; and
•
Protect intellectual
property rights, in the firm belief that the value in software will continue to
serve as the basis for successful commercial enterprises.
Microsoft Products Covered under Shared Source Initiative
Currently, Windows 2000,
Windows XP, Windows .NET Server, Windows CE 3.0, Windows CE.NET and the .NET
C#/CLI Implementation have source code available through the Shared Source
Initiative.
Shared Source Initiative Licensing
Programs
The following describes the
source-code use, level of access and restrictions for each of the Shared Source
Initiative Licensing Programs.
|
Shared Source Licensing Programs |
View |
Debug |
Modify |
Distribute |
Commercialize |
|
Enterprise Source Licensing
Program (ESLP) |
YES |
YES |
No |
No |
No |
|
Systems Integrator Source Licensing
Program (SISLP) |
YES |
YES |
No |
No |
No |
|
OEM Source Licensing Program (OEMSLP) |
YES |
YES |
No |
No |
No |
|
Microsoft Research Source Licensing
Program (MRSLP) |
YES |
YES |
No |
No |
No |
|
Government Source Licensing Program
(GSLP) |
YES |
YES |
No |
No |
No |
|
Windows CE Shared Source Licensing
Program (WCESSLP) |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
No |
|
Windows CE Shared Source Academic
Curriculum License |
YES |
YES |
YES |
No |
No |
|
C#/Jscript/CLI Implementations Shared
Source Licensing Program |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
No |
|
.NET Passport Manager Source Licensing
Program (PMSLP) |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
|
VS. Net Academic Tools Source License
(Assignment Manager) |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
|
ASP.NET Samples Source Licensing
Program |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Enterprise Source Licensing Program, Government Source Licensing Program, Systems Integrator Source Licensing Program and OEM Source Licensing Program:
Microsoft has shared Windows
source code for more than a decade and presently grants access to code for
Windows 2000 RTP/SPx, Windows XP and Windows .NET Server code base (all
versions, all service packs and all betas). The source code may be viewed in
printed or digital form, or used within a debugger. Source-code modification or
distribution is not allowed under these Shared Source programs.
Microsoft Research
Source Licensing Program:
Provides sponsoring
government or University researchers with a reference grant as well as a
license to create and share derivative works with other researchers. This
shared source program is not designed for curriculum building, textbook
publishing or general classroom use. Organizations not affiliated with a
University research lab are generally not eligible for this license.
Windows CE Shared
Source Licensing Program:
This license allows the user
access to more than 1.5 million lines of Windows CE source code for any noncommercial
purpose, including distributing derivative works. Access to the Windows CE
source code allows customers to improve their commercial applications or
hardware.
Windows CE Shared
Source Academic Curriculum License:
This license allows the user
access to more than 1.5 million lines of Windows CE source code. The accredited
two- or four-year university can not use source code associated with the
Windows CE Shared Source Academic Curriculum License for the following
purposes:
·
Profit or commercial
purposes
·
Sublicensing or
distribution of source or binaries
·
Inclusion of any
third-party code in modifications
·
Inclusion of any
open-source code in modifications
·
The C#/JScript/CLI
Implementations Shared Source Licensing Program: Available for noncommercial
purposes as part of Microsoft's Shared Source Initiative. For more information,
please see the license terms at http://msdn.microsoft.com/net/sscli
Who can participate in the
Shared Source Initiative programs?
Each shared source licensing program
is tailored to meet the needs of a specific community. There are eligibility
criteria to be met for each of the following shared source licensing programs.
Please visit http://www.microsoft.com/sharedsource for more information
regarding specific eligibility requirements for each of these shared source
licensing programs.
• Enterprise
Source Licensing Program
• Systems
Integrator Source Licensing Program
• OEM Source
Licensing Program
• Microsoft
Research Source Licensing Program
• Government
Source Licensing Program
The
Windows CE Shared Source Academic Curriculum License is available to authors
and professors affiliated with an accredited two- or four-year college or
university, worldwide, in every country. The Windows CE Shared Source Licensing
Program and the C#/JScript/CLI Implementations Shard Source Licensing Program
are both available to any interested party in any country, worldwide.
Additional
Information
Please
visit http://www.microsoft.com/sharedsource
for more information regarding Microsoft’s Shared Source Initiative.