Pidgin also works with that protocol, and many other closed protocols. In
general we should strive to use or develop open, patent-free standards
wherever applicable, like using .ogg instead of .mp3 or using javascirpt for
browser games instead of flash, but that doesn't mean we should outright
reject connecting with any website that has mp3 files available for download
or features SWF elements. Richard Stallman gives pretty much the same opinion
about this.
With that said, I do see your point in the special case of the MSN-like
client in the Trisquel repos. Unlike Pigdin, which is a general chat program
that can connect with almost any protocol, it's mainly developed to clone the
functionality of MSN messenger. This is one question of software freedom that
lacks a straightforward black and white answer, so I would encourage more
discussion in the future of controversial issues like this one.
In general, we should not go so far as to call proprietary software
"criminal". Nobody is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to agree to
the license, after all. Pornography isn't criminal, either; that doesn't mean
it's ethical.
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