Microsoft confirms GPL code use in Windows 7 tool

 

Gallery

Posted on 16 Nov 2009 at 11:55

Microsoft has confirmed that it used GPL-licensed code in its Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool without permission.

The firm pulled the tool from its servers when allegations that the code was covered under GNU General Public License, a popular open source license which allows developers to re-use the code as long as the new or modified code is also released under the same terms, were made by Rafael Rivera while he was poking around the tool.

Rivera claimed that the tool "obviously" lifted code from the GPL v2-licensed ImageMaster project.

In a post on Port 25, Microsoft's open-source website, the software giant confirmed that the tool did contain code from the ImageMaster project.

"After looking at the code in question, we are now able to confirm that this was indeed the case, although it was not intentional on our part," said Microsoft spokesperson Peter Galli.

Galli blamed "a third party" who was contracted to create the tool for the software giant, but he also admits that Microsoft shares the blame for the incident "as we did not catch it as part of our code review process." He also said that the firm had "conducted a review of other code provided through the Microsoft Store and this was the only incident of this sort we could find.

"When it comes to our attention that a Microsoft component contains third party code, our aim is to be respectful of the terms under which that code is being shared," continued Galli. "As a result, we will be making the source code as well as the binaries for this tool available next week under the terms of the General Public License v2."

He went onto say that the firm will be making changes to its code review process in order to apply what it has learned from this particular foul-up.

Author: Tim Smalley