13 November 2009, 22:24

Microsoft confirm GPL violation in Windows 7 tool

Microsoft has confirmed that GPL licensed code was included in the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (WUDT). WUDT allows users to transfer downloaded Windows 7 images to a USB drive or burn them to DVD media. According to a blog posting by Peter Galli, Microsoft's Open Source Community Manager, the code was included by the third party that Microsoft had contracted to create the tool.

Galli says that while a third party created the tool, Microsoft shares responsibility in that it did not catch the violation during code review. To remedy the situation, the source code for the tool will be made available next week under the GPLv2 along with the binaries which were withdrawn earlier this week. Galli added that the company will be "taking measures to apply what we have learned from this experience for future code reviews we perform". The company has already reviewed other offerings in the Microsoft Store and believes that this was the only incidence of a license violation.

(djwm)

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