Easy IE installer script

[Ivan Leo Murray-Smith]

> MSVCRT40/MFC40 aren't components of windows though, they are
> redistributable DLLs that come with apps.
They come with apps because the vendors of those apps have a license from M$ to
redistribute them. You need such a license before you can redistribute them.

> Well, I'm pretty sure that sort of clause would be illegal, they can't
> say "such and such can only be run on Windows", as that'd be tying a
> product to a monopoly.
I'm sure it's illegal, but that's how things are. Anybody (DOJ?) could sue them
on that point, are you going to have a go? As I don't think you developed the
script with a M$ tool that comes with a license that allows you to distribute M$
dlls for whatever platform, this is irrelevant.

> If they start claiming that the MFC DLL can only be used on genuine
> Windows, then we have much bigger problems than having to pull a
> convenience script - that would make many programs unrunnable on Wine
> (but of course they cannot say this, so that's not a problem).
No, if an app is developed for windows using M$ tools/sdk/compiler, but a user
runs the app on wine, it is perfectly legal. Well, technically some M$ lawyer
may say it isn't, but nobody would be liable.

> Well this is what Microsoft claim, but the distinction has never really
> been spelled out. MSN Messenger comes with Windows too - does that make
> it an OS component? I'm not sure.
The antitrust case about this is not over, actually Bill testified at it
recently, and maybe D.C. and the ten suing states will win. If they do, there
may be builds of windows without OE/IE/MSN, but I don't think there will be
OE/IE/MSN that can legally run without a windows license.
 
> I have an old copy of MSVC++ lying around here somewhere anyway, so I
> guess I do have a license. If I can't find it then buying a new one from
> ebay or something is not too hard.
Have a look at the license and see what it says.

> The easiest solution is to simply use wget to fetch the files from
> dll-files.com : a very silly getout clause that probably wouldn't make
> much difference in a court of law, but hopefully we will never have to
> find out.
dll-files is a illegal site, M$ doesn't do anything about it but it stays
illegal, so it may be a problem because I think the DMCA says you can't link
illegal software (I suppose that's why nobody in the US links to linux dvd
players with decks)

Ivan.