LibreOffice in the Microsoft Store for Windows 10

Libre Office is a popular free alternative to Microsoft Office for years. The office offering includes word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and drawing programs. The open source program is developed by the Libre Office community and can be downloaded for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

In recent days there is also in the Windows 10 App Store a Free Office version, which you should however buy for 3.10 francs. At the same time, a free and unlimited trial version is offered.

The description of the application says: "Shopping helps us." But who does take charge of the purchase? Because Libre Office was not put by the developers themselves in the Microsoft Store, as they clarify on Twitter.

If Free Office in the Microsoft Store does not come from developers, ask at least two questions:

• his fingers in the game?
• Do revenues go back to open source developers or do they slip into the pockets of a free-loader?

How Free Office was Hijacked

One thing is certain: Free Office has been hijacked and without the Official Knowledge Developer, the Document Foundation, published in the Microsoft Store. The publisher of the software is an unknown developer named .net.

The underlying motive is not clear: Does any one want to enrich open source software or, conversely, is it free? Microsoft Store Windows 10 become familiar?

In the current state of affairs, it seems that an undisclosed developer has entered Libre Office and placed it in the Microsoft Windows 10 store app via Microsoft Desktop Bridge. Microsoft Desktop Bridge is a tool that allows software developers to easily transfer their previous desktop programs to the Microsoft Store. It can also be used by third parties.

Absolutely legal?

Basically, you can do what you want with open source software and make money, provided all other license agreements are respected. For Libre Office, the question now arises as to whether we can and want to act against the unknown. That's exactly what the Libre Office developers are currently looking at, as they write on Twitter.

But even if the action of .net should be legal, it remains debatable. Because its description of the application does not show that it is an unofficial version of Libre Office. Users who want to donate by buying an open source project, pay the best in the pockets of a free rider.

Si .net had made it clear that it was an unofficial version of Free Office and that the buyer was paying so for porting on the App. Store, things would seem a little different: After all, .net has Free Office in brought the Microsoft Store, that is to say the work that you could have expected from the developers of Libre Office. The "thief" app must also pay Microsoft fees for its developer account and has other expenses, for example, in future updates.

Microsoft controls too little

Since then, Libre Office developers have informed Microsoft of the incident. It may only take a few hours before the unofficial application disappears from the Microsoft Store.

It remains to be noted that Microsoft seems to control its app store too little. The hijacked Free Office application went on sale July 9, 2018 and was only released when she spotted a reporter.

Microsoft makes it very easy for software developers to bring their programs to the Microsoft Store – apparently a bit too simple. A few days ago, we already knew that a company had hacked several Google apps and put them in the Microsoft Store without permission. Google itself has again boycotted the App Store for Windows 10 to give an advantage to its own operating system.

The confusion surrounding the Libre Office could have been avoided from the start, because the developer community even integrated its program into the Microsoft Store – after all, it would be in their own interest that their desktop alternative be found by customers .