The hard side of Mister Softie
,----[ Quote ]
| Ah, Microsoft. Nothing gets the knickers of Silicon Valley startup guys more
| twisted than signs that the world’s largest software company is over-reaching
| again. The latest outrage? Some of my friends at the Valley’s best-known
| social networks and Web 2.0 companies are privately grousing that emissaries
| from Redmond are trying to “strong-arm” (their term) startups into giving
| special treatment to Messenger, Microsoft’s (MSFT) answer to AIM and other
| instant messaging programs.
`----
http://techland.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/01/18/the-hard-side-of-mister-softie/
Didn't they stand trial for such abuse of the OEMs? Same old business (crime)
at Microsoft. More examples of bullying below.
Related:
Microsoft Allegedly Bullies and Bribes to Make Office an International Standard
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft did not respond to several calls requesting comment.
`----
http://www.wired.com/software/coolapps/news/2007/08/ooxml_vote
Dutch government threatens to sideline Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| Proposed legislation that would mandate the use of the Open Document Format
| (ODF) across the entire Dutch government has infuriated Microsoft.
|
| [...]
|
| Microsoft Netherlands has engaged in fierce lobbying in an attempt to derail
| the plan. The company argues that the current definition is too narrow,
| specifically by mandating ODF rather than open standards in general
`----
http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/12/10/dutch/index.php
Microsoft snubs own staff for outsiders
,----[ Quote ]
| According to the Wall Street Journal, Steve Ballmer is choosing aliens to do
| work for him rather than rely on Vole staffers.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/09/26/microsoft-snubs-own-staff
Microsoft trying to derail Google/DoubleClick deal by lobbying congress
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has hired lobbying firm Patton Boggs LLC to do work on "competitive
| issues surrounding Google/DoubleClick [sic] merger."
`----
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070816-microsoft-spends-40000-to-lobby-congress-about-googledoubleclick-merger.html
Q&A: Former Mass. CIO feels 'bittersweet pride' after battles with Microsoft,
legislature
,----[ Quote ]
| As CIO of Massachusetts from February to November last year, Louis
| Gutierrez had to endure most of the brunt of Microsoft Corp.'s political
| wrath over a state policy calling for the adoption of the Open Document
| Format for Office Applications, or ODF -- a rival to the software vendor's
| Office Open XML file format.
|
| [...]
|
| Do you see any reason for there to be two standards? If you were
| starting blank-slate, there certainly would not be value to creating
| two separate standards. Over time, it has sometimes been useful to
| have the competition of two standards to keep both sides honest.
| But I don't see particular value in the long-term co-existence of
| two separate standards.
`----
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9012760&source=rss_news50
,----[ Quote ]
| Quinn: Almost to a person, to anybody involved or who knows about
| the ODF issue, they attributed the story to Microsoft, right, wrong
| or otherwise. Senator Pacheco may be a bully but I do not believe he
| is disingenious and would stoop to such a tactic. Senator Pacheco and
| Secretary Galvin's office remain very heavily influenced by the
| Microsoft money and its lobbyist machine, as witnessed by their
| playbook and words, in my opinion.
|
| Quinn: I believe that the ODF decision will stand. I believe MS
| will continue to do anything and everything it can to stop it. And I
| know my seat wasn't even empty and they (MS) took another shot at
| the title, to no avail. This horse is out of the barn and I see no
| way for it to go back in. Remember, all we are asking for was and is
| for Microsoft to commit to open and the standards process; so
| everyone looks really bad if the plug gets pulled at this juncture.
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20060119232859729
MA Governor-Elect Names MS Anti-ODF Lobbyist to Technology Advisory Group
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20061128161343183
[???] Microsoft To Fine Retail Stores $250,000 For Offering XP
,----[ Quote ]
| If we even mention the fact that we carry the model with XP preloaded to a
| Microsoft secret shopper the store will be fined by Microsoft for $250,000
| dollars. So even though we offer a PC with XP Pro we are not allowed to tell
| you we do out of fear that Microsoft will fine us for 1/4 of a million
| dollars.
`----
http://nomad1984.blinkinblog.com/microsoft-to-fine-retail-stores-250000-for-offering-xp.html
Microsoft sues Immersion for contract breach
,----[ Quote ]
| We entered into a binding licensing agreement with Immersion and are seeking
| to have that agreement honored," Microsoft Associate General Counsel Steve
| Aeschbacher said in a statement. "Microsoft licenses technology both in and
| out and relies on these agreements to be honored and enforced. Our request to
| the court is that all companies and industry partners should play by the same
| rules and that the binding agreement we signed with Immersion be honored."
`----
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9730964-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
"Human Greed Has No Bounds," Says MSFT in Fee Dispute
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft, he adds, is "seeking to punish counsel that has cost them a lot
| of money by increasing [the settlement] value to Wisconsin class members."
`----
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/03/14/fee-fight-involving-microsoft-breaks-out-in-wisconsin/
http://tinyurl.com/yptw58
Patent threats bad for Microsoft business - Red Hat
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft going around threatening customers with patent litigation does
| not make good business sense. This is according to Red Hat's Middle
| East and Africa channel sales manager, David Postel, who was speaking
| in Johannesburg last week.
`----
http://www.tectonic.co.za/view.php?src=rss&id=1594
Micro$oft continues bullying for intellectual property licenses.
,----[ Quote ]
| These moves have excalated from private lawsuits against individuals to
| open hostility against the world of free software and most recently,
| to inking cross-licensing (i.e.: "protection") agreements.
|
| All of this is, naturally, under the guise of "improving
| interoperability" between software products.
`----
http://www.mywesttexas.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18486567&BRD=2288&PAG=461&dept_id=475590&rfi=6#08310989284596593909
http://tinyurl.com/34u7eo
US politicians go to bat for Microsoft
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/26/microsoft_eu_political_lobbying/
|
|
