MS Window Source, Will Be Partially Disclosed This Month

Microsoft(MS) of US discloses the partial Window Source. MS announced on August 5 that it would disclose the source code(APIs) of Window until August 28. It is based on Antitrust Negotiation agreed between MS and 9 States through mediation of United States Federal Judiciary in the last November. The source code to be disclosed by MS is the code related 272 Interfaces and 113 Protocols communicated between the software programs different from the window.

MS plans to allow the competitors using this communication protocol through charging fees. By using this protocol, the competitors can use the operating system of the company through connecting the MS window.

MS said that it would make other competitors or consumers add or delete the Explorer, Media Player and Outlook Express which are the MS series products if the newly-updated Window XP.

As the MS discloses the technical information, the software manufacturers can easily make the software, which can be operated in the window. Because the MS didn’t disclose it in the meantime, the products of the other companies are operated in the window or the MS software is not compatible with other operating systems. So, the MS is likely to monopolize.

However, 9 States and AOL, which participated in a lawsuit, but rejected the mediation of the court, decided to enforce the lawsuit to an end saying that the restricted disclosure of the MS is not proper to solve an exclusive possession.

Ki-Heung Han eligius@donga.com