Fears About Microsoft Return, in Mexico

Z` points to this New York Times article, which begins: "While Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, defended the company against charges of monopolistic practices before Congress this week, legislators in Mexico City prepared their own attack against a new agreement by Microsoft and the Mexican government that could drive millions of new Internet users into Microsoft's waiting arms by the end of the year."

Re:looks like it may be just the start..

[linzeal]

This may actually be the crux that forges international anti-trust laws, congrats microsoft for innovating justice (lol).

Take it before Judge Judy?

[Thenomain]

Shouldn't this be in front of "The People's Court".

Microsoft: But she invited me in!
Mexico: I didn't say you could rifle through my things.
Microsoft: I didn't rifle through your things!
Mexico: Did too! I found my underwear in the bathroom and --

And so on. Maybe this demands a new class of "Reality Television": When Corporations Go Wrong. F/X would eat it up, put it on right after Son Of The Beach.

... Or maybe I watch too much television.

*knock knock*

[rscrawford]

I'm just curious: how long until the BSA decides that they have the authority to bring entire nations to task for license violations?

"In a move which is sure to spark controversy worldwide, Microsoft today made an offer to the government of Nigeria to outsource all government functions in the wake of massive fines levied against the Nigerian government for their failure to bring all of that nation's computers in full compliance with this hour's EULA terms. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates continues to deny to World Court authorities that corporate takeovers of African governments was the ultimate aim of the 'e-Africa' initiative launched in 2005.

"In other e-Africa news, anti-Microsoft riots continue to rage in Johannesburg, effectively shutting that nation down for a third straight week, while another six BSA agents were dragged through the streets and executed in the Somali capitol..."

Not that I believe such a scenario will ever come to pass, of course. After all, there would certainly be no profit potential in bringing all of Africa online.

I'll up Microsoft's bid...

[countach]

So MS is going to donate $6M in licences? I'll up that, I'll donate 100 million licences to use RedHat. Valued at the official price for RedHat, that ups MS's bid by thousands of times.

OSS "lacks resources" for donations?

[guanxi]

From the article:

But proponents of open-source computing complain that they are being left out of the e-Mexico project because they lack the resources to offer multimillion-dollar donations.

Huh? Well, I just won't stand for it. Using my personal fortune, I hereby donate to the people of Mexico any and all open source software they desire. In addition, I'm giving them the source code, and they are free to use it or modify it any way they like!

Now, this will be quite a blow to my accumlated wealth, so I'd appreciate any donations to defray the cost, in cash or in kind. Please either send me one legally licensed copy of Linux, Star Office and/or KDE, or use my PayPal account to pay for the equivalent. I'll forward all donations to the Mexican gov't.