Microsoft hatches Bing Fund incubator for startups

Hey, MS,... Way to be the first to copy a great idea!

Now if you can only find a way to apply your standard business ethics to it,... that is to completely either (a) destroy the businesses that sign up, (b) steal their ideas and drive them under or (c) use patents to prevent them from being able to execute ideas without paying you outrageous royalties,... then you'd be all set...

Just read the End-Used Loser Agreement... it'll be in there.

Yep:

"However, by posting, uploading, inputting, providing or submitting ("Posting") your Submission you are granting Microsoft, its affiliated companies and necessary sublicensees permission to use your Submission in connection with the operation of their Internet businesses (including, without limitation, all Microsoft Services), including, without limitation, the license rights to: copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, translate and reformat your Submission; to publish your name in connection with your Submission; and the right to sublicense such rights to any supplier of the Services."

I'm not so sure that says exactly what you might think it says, skelband,... It may be just related to publicity and exhibition ...

Yes, the inclusion applies only to the submission itself, not the technology that might emerge from a sponsored submission.

I would imagine that the terms offered to a company for an accepted submission would be private. We might never know.

I think what it says is pretty clear. It complies with the BSD license, which means MS can make changes and declare it its own.