2 ms·
There's no legal avenue, if the license allows distribution of the code/binaries then it can be distributed anywhere. But Microsoft's store is a private market
by qbasic_forever 4y ago
There's no legal avenue, if the license allows distribution of the code/binaries then it can be distributed anywhere.
But Microsoft's store is a private marketplace (despite costing nothing in dollars to use/view). They can make whatever rules they want for the software they distribute or allow to be distributed there. First amendment, etc. doesn't apply. If Microsoft decided only software with unicorns and bunny rabbits could be distributed on their store, they are pefectly within their rights to mandate and enforce it.
- cowtools 4y agoOkay, but just because they can unfairly discriminate on "their" operating system doesn't mean that they should or that we shouldn't resist/discuss it. I don't care if microsoft's store is a private marketplace. People should have the right to run whatever programs they want on their own hardware.
- init2null 4y agoThey absolutely should, but that's why we need to retain the ability to download and install outside of the store. As long as we have that ability, this isn't a concern.
- wizofaus 4y agoI'm not sure how far that "whatever programs they want" goes - e.g. you can't legally run MacOS apps on non-Apple hardware. If MS decided the store was the only way to install apps into Windows, is that much different? Both platforms of course need to be able to support compiling from source and executing the resulting binary , which is sufficient to ensure OSS software will never be banished entirely.