The source code Microsoft has long guarded as secret intellectual property is now becoming the carrot dangled before governments to keep them from defecting to competitors' software.

Microsoft on Tuesday announced a new program to make the underlying code for its Windows operating system available to several governments and governmental agencies for viewing.

The software company has already signed agreements with the Russian government and NATO to allow them to review for free the underlying programming instructions that Microsoft has long guarded as secret intellectual property.

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