Windows 8"s delivery system for new apps, the Windows Store, was revealed in detailed earlier this week. Developers who might be leery of making apps for Windows 8 might think differently thanks to a new provision in Microsoft"s recently revealed Windows Store User Agreement. The terms allow for app developers to submit programs to the Windows Store that have been developed with most open source licenses provided the use has been approved by the Open-Source Initiative (OSI).
The specific agreement states:
Your license terms must also not conflict with the Standard Application License Terms, in any way, except if you include FOSS, your license terms may conflict with the limitations set forth in Section 3 of those Terms, but only to the extent required by the FOSS that you use. "FOSS" means any software licensed under an Open Source Initiative Approved License.
In another part of the Windows Store User Agreement, Microsoft says:
If your app includes FOSS, it must not cause any non-FOSS Microsoft software to become subject to the terms of any FOSS license.
The Register believes that while Microsoft did not name it specifically, the agreement means that the General Public License (GPL) support will not be included.
With at least some kind of open source software approval for Windows Store apps, it looks like developers will have at least a little more freedom to make applications their way rather than having it be completely dictated by Microsoft.