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[News] Microsoft is Being Pressured Out of EU (Free Software Policies)

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European Public Sector Open-source Guidelines Spark Debate

,----[ Quote ]
| Should European governments favor open-source software when they hold tenders 
| for public contracts? Economists and policy makers appear to think so but 
| industry giants including Microsoft argue that this would be discriminatory 
| and are considering legal action to prevent this from happening.   
`----

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/151519/european_public_sector_opensource_guidelines_spark_debate.html

This is outrageous. A company that created user-hostile software,  a company
that bribes, bullies, smears, blackmails, sabotages, lies, commits fraud, etc.
is threatening to sue for finally receiving some justice!

I'm taking a few days off. Be back next week.


Bribery:

[Mandriva CEO:] An open letter to Steve Ballmer

,----[ Quote ]
| Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done for these guys to change their
| mind like this? It’s pretty clear to me, and it will be clear to everyone.
| How do you call what you just did Steve, in the place where you live? In my
| place, they give it various names, I’m sure you know them.  
|
| Hey Steve, how do you feel looking at yourself in the mirror in the morning?
|
| Of course, I will keep fighting this one and the next one, and the next one.
| You have the money, the power, and maybe we have a different sense of ethics
| you and I, but I believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win
| too.  
`----

http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/


Blackmail:

Microsoft Denies Threatening to Withdraw Funding

,----[ Quote ]
| However, the denial was a contradiction to comments by Bitange Ndemo,
| permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communication, who
| said that Microsoft may have made comments regarding funding, though not
| directly or in writing.  
|
| "They may have said something to that effect though not directly and not in
| writing. Microsoft cannot threaten us. In any case, our policy is very clear,
| we encourage people to use open-source software and those who want to use
| proprietary software are at liberty to do so" Ndemo said.  
|
| There was heated debate in Kenya's technology sector before the decision to
| abstain. The decision was made by a 12-member committee. Some experts felt
| that the committee was comprised of a majority of Microsoft partners.  
`----

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/144898/microsoft_denies_threatening_to_withdraw_funding.html


Fraud:

Ex-Microsoft manager jailed for $1m fraud

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2222135/microsoft-manager-jailed-1m-cons


Smear campaigns:

Tim Bray: Life Is Complicated

,----[ Quote ]
| Those with long memories might suggest a parallel between Rick’s position and
| mine when in 1997, I was sitting on the XML Working Group and co-editing the
| spec, on a pro bono basis as an indie consultant. Netscape hired me to
| represent their interests, and when I announced this, controversy ensued.
| Which is a nice way of saying that Microsoft went berserk; tried
| unsuccessfully to get me fired as co-editor, and then launched a vicious,
| deeply personal extended attack in which they tried to destroy my career and
| took lethal action against a small struggling company because my wife worked
| there. It was a sideshow of a sideshow of the great campaign to bury Netscape
| and I’m sure the executives have forgotten; but I haven’t.        
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http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2007/01/24/Mixup


Vote rigging:

Microsoft accused of more OOXML standards fiddling 

,----[ Quote ]
| However the 11 new countries are refusing to say how they will vote. These 
| include Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Ecuador, Jamaica, Lebanon, Malta, Pakistan, 
| Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uruguay and Venezuela. Most people seem to think 
| that these have been put there by Vole to make sure the standard gets pushed 
| through.    
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=42106

Among thousands more...
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