Unusual XNA Tools Licensing
Sun, 2009-06-14 21:59 — Michael
In the Microsoft XNA EULA, I found the following restriction:
You may not use the software to develop programs that run on any platform other than the Windows, Zune or Xbox 360 platforms
I'm no lawyer, but this sounds like very poor wording. Does this mean that all source code developed with XNA Game Studio is restricted to use on those platforms, in perpetuity? That would mean that it couldn't even be used on a future, new Microsoft platform!
This seems to me to be unreasonable and probably unenforceable.
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Comments
Enterprise Library
Well, the only "under Windows" was already present on Microsoft Enterprise library till the last revision. So I am afraid that is what it really means.
They will change it if they release a new platform. ;)
Re: EntLib
EntLib was a little different, because they were saying you could not use *their* code (EntLib) on non-Windows platforms. This sounds like they are saying you can't use *your* code on other platforms.
Of course, as of now, code written in XNA Game Studio pretty much requires their code to run. (The XNA framework.)
By Reading this Comment ...
By reading this comment, you here by agree to give me all your money. EULA ftw. btw what cant you say in a EULA?
.NET Framework and Visual Studio
If you read the .NET Framework and Visual Studio EULA, you will see similar restrictions. The EULA is enforable because the binary code that is emitted is copyrighted. Yes, your code is translated and compiled to into assorted binary code that Microsoft wrote. Gotcha ya!
What if it's recompiled under Mono?
But if code written in VS is recompiled with Mono, will these restrictions still apply? And/or be enforceable?
Poor wording, indeed
So once OSS guys implement drop-in replacement for XNA platform (like Mono is for .NET itself), EVERY app written in XNA Studio is breaking EULA, as every will be able to run on other platform. At least until Microsoft start some nice big lawsuit over patents... *sigh*
Just like Apple
"This seems to me to be unreasonable and probably unenforceable."
Like Apple's "for use only on an Apple-labeled computer" OS X-EULA. Only that Apple so far has gotten away with it but Microsoft already lost the OEM case in Germany. Maybe somebody should sue them to find out whether this license is enforceable or not. After all, it's common business practice to have a court decide the validity of a contract/an agreement.
That's different
Apple's limiting what you can do with their software.
The strange thing here is that XNA appears to be attaching conditions to your software that you develop with the IDE. Does that mean you have to require users of your software to agree not to try to run it on other platforms? Does this apply to your source, or just the binaries?
Yo
This is totally the wrong place for this comment, but I didn't see a more recent post, so I apologize for placing it here, but...
I only discovered MonoDevelop for OS X a few days ago.
Just wanted to say I love you. You have no idea how much better my life is because of it. The reason you have no idea is that I haven't told you, though I'm sure you can guess (generally, it's easier to code with a slick IDE than a slick nothing).
Got sick of writing shell scripts to perform tasks related to work (and personal projects). Automator works for extremely simple things, but often winds up being more trouble than a script (at least for what I've tried to do with it). Didn't want to use Objective-C because I spend most of my time with it and need a break occasionally. Had been wanting to use C#/.Net, but didn't know there was a version of MonoDevelop for OS X, and didn't want to code without an IDE. Was spoiled by VS, and the vastness of the framework(s) makes coding without an IDE too much of a pain (the "hardcore" coders who shun IDEs are probably either unaware of a given method's 87 overloads or have never had to use them - I also doubt they have every framework enumeration they'll ever need memorized - etc.).
Hadn't done any real C# coding for a few years. Left Microsoft in late 2007 and stopped working with MS technologies almost entirely (not to say I didn't miss them).
Had to let you know that the work you and all the others have done is so very appreciated. For my command line utilities, I'm no longer having to patch things together in that bash-y way or having to use Objective-C for something that could be done far more simply in C#. I'd forgotten how quickly you can throw things together when you have a fantastic language, framework, and IDE.
Yeah. I'm drooling. It's a little embarrassing.
But I really am that happy.
Thanks.
Glad you like it!
Sorry it took me a while to reply - I've been on vacation. I'm glad you like MonoDevelop! I used to follow your RSS feed when I was a student and had time to read RSS feeds, so it's pretty cool to have you comment on my blog :)
It's always great to see that people like and use the stuff we're writing, and getting MonoDevelop onto the Mac and Windows has certainly helped. We have a lot of cool features under development too, so it's just going to get better from here!