04.08.09
The BSA, White & Case, and Microsoft
Summary: Improper behaviour from allies of Microsoft
ONE Microsoft front that we constantly keep track of is the BSA. Accommodating former employees of Bill Gates' father, the BSA is actively fighting against Free software [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] and one reader has sent us this court filing [PDF]. “From 1997, the file shows a Belgian court case against the BSA from software integrators. The plaintiff basically argued against the use of ‘bad practises’ and against the use of denouncement in support of BSA members. The BSA was sentenced and had to pay a fine,” explains our reader, who is pursuing an English translation of the document.
“Accommodating former employees of Bill Gates’ father, the BSA is actively fighting against Free software”What actually happens to be newer from Microsoft proponents is this anti-Free software article which Law.com has just published. It may look innocent on the surface, but a disclosure seems to be missing. Not only is the information inaccurate (or outright false), but as Pamela Jones from Groklaw explained, “maybe it’s because White & Case represented Microsoft in the EU Commission’s successful antitrust action against Microsoft? White & Case is where these lawyers work: “Jonathan Moskin is a partner and Howard Wettan and Adam Turkel are associates in the NY office of White & Case.” And now they advise businesses not to use Open Source? Well. At least they could get the facts right.”
Dana Blankenhorn has already fallen into their apparent trap. They seed the Web with poison against Free software. █
