Open-Source Community Skeptical About Microsoft's Sender ID License

Microsoft this month is moving forward with the developer implementation of its anti-spam Sender ID framework, but open-source advocates and mail vendors doubt whether the software giant's new proposed license meets open-source requirements. Sender ID is a proposed IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) e-mail standard that combines Microsoft's earlier Caller ID proposal with SPF (Sender Policy Framework), which was developed by Meng Weng Wong, founder of IC Group Inc.'s Pobox.com. Sender ID is meant to stop many spam, virus and phishing attacks before they are launched by inspecting e-mail at the SMTP level to ensure that messages are actually coming from real users at recognized mail domains.

Sender ID has already gained market support. Both ISPs, such as AOL, and mail software and support companies, such as Cloudmark Inc. and Tumbleweed Communications Corp., have announced support for it. Microsoft has also announced that it will start using Sender ID for inbound e-mail to its hotmail.com, msn.com and microsoft.com domains in October.