12.27.09
Posted in Deception, ISO, Microsoft, Open XML, OpenDocument, Patents, Standard at 9:09 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: With the ending of the i4i case OOXML should be removed from ISO and cease to be used
THIS is a subject that we wrote about before, right after it turned out that Microsoft had deliberately lied by saying that OOXML had no patent issues. Microsoft was already struggling against i4i in court [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11], knowing damn well the implications it would probably have when it comes to OOXML. Microsoft lied with pride. Microsoft also corrupted ISO with the help of insiders — “accomplices” as one might label them.
Sun’s Tim Bray has just said what many came to witness a few months back.
At the time of the huge OOXML dogfight, one of the reasons Microsoft claimed that the world needed OOXML, even though there was already a perfectly-good ISO-standard XML office-document format, was that it enabled this wonderful customization feature.
What Bray calls the “OOXML dogfight” was a phenomenal display of disregard for the law (see the OOXML Abuse Index), in which the BRM convenor, Alex Brown, personally participated [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Over at Groklaw, Pamela Jones writes: “I wonder how Alex Brown and the gang will handle OOXML now that Microsoft has been found guilty of willful patent infringement in the i4i case and so must remove functionality from XML in its Word products? Does it mean that the standard is no longer “in use”? That it must be withdrawn due to a patent having been asserted against it?”
ISO is probably too corrupt and vain to withdraw OOXML, but that’s what it ought to be doing at this stage. Microsoft rammed something ridiculous under false pretenses, not just with bribery.
Speaking of patents, here is interesting news:
A recent Microsoft patent application applies a similar approach to defining navigational queries. The inventors of the patent filing tell us that queries can be generally classified as falling into a couple of broad categories: discovery queries and navigational queries.
More here:
He compares the Microsoft filing to a recent Yahoo patent filing that details what the Sunnyvale, Calif., company might look for when deciding whether a query was navigational or not. Slawski bases some of his analysis on Microsoft’s “best match” feature.
We previously wrote about the possibility that Microsoft would use patents against Google. █
“The ISO process, brutal and corrupt as it was, has been covered to death by everyone.”
–Tim Bray
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Posted in Antitrust, Courtroom, GNU/Linux, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Patents, SCO, Servers at 8:29 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: The everlasting pattern of legal attacks almost convinces Groklaw that Microsoft is driving more lawsuits against GNU/Linux
FOR THOSE who do not know yet, T3 is partly owned by Microsoft after it attacked GNU/Linux-powered mainframes. We covered this case in:
Last week we wrote about Neon suing in a similar fashion. At the time it happened, Groklaw made no speculation and its opinion on this subject matters because Groklaw had spent over 5 years looking at an anti-IBM and anti-Linux lawsuit which was funded by Microsoft but came from SCO.
“…Groklaw had spent over 5 years looking at an anti-IBM and anti-Linux lawsuit which was funded by Microsoft but came from SCO.”Pamela Jones has had more time to assess the latest case and in reference to this recent summit, she wrote: “I’ve been listening to the keynotes from Red Hat’s Summit 2009, and IBM’s [Robert] Sutor gives a talk on Linux being in use everywhere, and he was pointing out that if you are talking about mainframes, you are talking about Linux. So, I said to myself, is *that* why there is another antitrust allegation against IBM in the mainframe space even after the court just ruled against T3′s similar allegations — is this another attack on Linux using the judicial/regulatory system? That would explain the Microsoft shadow in the picture, would it not?”
Here at Boycott Novell we choose not to speculate about this but rather to present other people’s speculations. It only makes sense to do this, in case we discover something new in the future. Let’s look at the verified facts. Larry Goldfarb (BayStar), a key investor in SCO, said that Microsoft’s “Mr. Emerson and [him] discussed a variety of investment structures wherein Microsoft would ‘backstop,’ or guarantee in some way, BayStar’s investment…. Microsoft assured [his] that it would in some way guarantee BayStar’s investment in SCO.”
Considering the way Microsoft stepped behind T3 right after it had sued IBM, one cannot help wondering if there were similar arrangements surrounding the latest case.
Since we’ve mentioned Red Hat’s Summit, worth recalling is the legal case against Microsoft’s alleged corruption with the government of Switzerland. It’s appearing again in this week’s news, under the headline “Microsoft rebels”:
When monopoly meets budget crunch
Over the past couple of years, Microsoft shops have been increasingly wooed by vendors offering alternatives to Windows, Exchange, Microsoft Office and other Microsoft wares. The competition has grown so fierce that in May, Red Hat went so far as to sue Switzerland (and win), saying that it could not grant Microsoft a no-bid contract for Office when so many other options exist.
It’s not Red Hat actually, it’s many companies. We highlighted this pattern of disinformation before:
- Microsoft Sued Over Its Corruption in Switzerland, Microsoft Debt Revisited
- Can the United Kingdom and Hungary Still be Sued for Excluding Free Software?
- 3 New Counts of Antitrust Violation by Microsoft?
- Is Microsoft Breaking the Law in Switzerland Too?
- Microsoft Uses Lobbyists to Attack Holland’s Migration to Free Software and Sort of Bribes South African Teachers Who Use Windows
- ZDNet/eWeek Ruins Peter Judge’s Good Article by Attacking Red Hat When Microsoft Does the Crime
- Week of Microsoft Government Affairs: a Look Back, a Look Ahead
- Lawsuit Against Microsoft/Switzerland Succeeds So Far, More Countries/Companies Should Follow Suit
- Latest Reports on Microsoft Bulk Deals Being Blocked in Switzerland, New Zealand
- Swiss Government and Federal Computer Weekly: Why the Hostility Towards Free Software?
- Switzerland and the UK Under Fire for Perpetual Microsoft Engagements
- Lawsuit Over Alleged Microsoft Corruption in Switzerland Escalates to Federal Court
In conclusion, Microsoft still seems to be investing in spurious lawsuits against GNU/Linux, whereas its own corrupt behaviour in government (contracting) is having it sued by dozens of companies. One might suggest that Microsoft is trying to distract people away from its own crimes by accusing others (notably IBM) of crime. But Microsoft, the company which brought "Jihad" to computing, does not make these accusations directly; it pays other companies to do the dirty work, just as it had Murdoch badmouth Google for weeks [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]. Remember those anti-Linux software patents it marketed to patent trolls just a few months ago [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]? █
“…Microsoft wished to promote SCO and its pending lawsuit against IBM and the Linux operating system. But Microsoft did not want to be seen as attacking IBM or Linux.”
–Larry Goldfarb, Baystar, key investor in SCO
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Posted in GNU/Linux, Kernel, LG, Microsoft, Novell, Samsung, Windows, Xandros at 7:28 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
“That’s extortion and we should call it what it is. To say, as Ballmer did, that there is undisclosed balance sheet liability, that’s just extortion and we should refuse to get drawn into that game.”
–Mark Shuttleworth
Summary: The attack on the freedom of Linux continues to appear to be coming from Microsoft allies, not Linux companies
IN THE previous post we showed that Windows Mobile is going nowhere, but one of the companies that joined Microsoft’s anti-Linux racket is still supporting Windows Mobile. That would be LG, which chose to pay Microsoft for Linux [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Sprint, LG, Microsoft To Intro WinMo WiMax Phone?
[...]
All of this thrown in together points at just one likely conclusion: Sprint is going to launch its first WiMax-enabled smartphone. Not only will the device have WiMax, but it will run Windows Mobile and it will be made by LG. Such a device would be quite big news for all three companies involved.
We previously showed a direct relationship between paying Microsoft for Linux and collaborating technically with Microsoft. Last month we gave Xandros and Samsung as timely examples [1, 2]. Novell is a more obvious example with Mono and Moonlight, to name just two projects that serve Microsoft. Now we are seeing the same from LG. █
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Posted in Apple, Microsoft, Windows at 6:56 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Windows Mobile loses mind share not just inside Microsoft but also outside Microsoft, which leaves it in somewhat of a downward spiral
IN last week's complaints about Windows Mobile it was made rather clear that Windows Mobile should expect no rebound. It is going down quite consistently and with its declining market share it also loses developers who were once willing to code for it.
Zack Urlocker says that Windows Mobile is losing developers indeed:
Microsoft is at risk of falling into last place in mobile phones if it doesn’t do something about it. So what’s the one strength Microsoft can bring to the table? Developers, developers, developers. They’re one of the factors that has made Microsoft a success on desktops, and it might well play in the mobile space.
It’s easy to see why they flee.
Ban the beer: Microsoft gets an attack of the ‘app morals’
[...]
Microsoft mobile developer marketing director for the Asia Pacific region, Chris Chin, says his company’s policy whilst not necessarily family friendly, it is at least “acceptable to the public”.
Microsoft does not value developers’ freedom and Apple is the same. We recently wrote about this in:
The Microsoft blog at Information Week writes about “The Sad Decline of Windows Mobile”
Microsoft has been plugging away at the mobile computing market for almost as long as Windows has been around. I’m thinking of products like Windows for Pen Computing, or the original Windows CE for handheld devices. At best, you could say that the consumers were willing but the platforms were weak.
Over at eWEEK, Windows Mobile is listed as a top Microsoft failure in 2009:
News Analysis: Microsoft has had an up and down kind of year. The company released Windows 7, but it also was forced to lay off 5,000 employees. While it introduced new security products, it’s still fighting an uphill battle against security vulnerabilities. It jump-started its online efforts, but failed to improve Windows Mobile. We take a look at those things the company did wrong in 2009.
There is more to be said about the above. Vista 7 failed to reignite the Windows franchise (Windows revenue down 40% in the last quarter), introduction of security products is more indicative of misery or defeat (stomping on security partners), and Microsoft has achieved nothing substantial online, despite colossal investments. █
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Posted in Deception, Microsoft, Vista, Vista 7, Vista 8, Windows at 6:27 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: A set of news and observations about Vista 7, which Microsoft is promoting rather aggressively despite obvious problems that continue to crop up
THIS is the latest part of a long series uncovering the reality behind Vista 7. It’s full of shortcomings.
SoftPedia sheds light on yet another technical problem with this new operating system, which is just Windows Vista in a new gown.
“Windows 7 RTM Can’t Print Large Page Documents
Windows 7 is by no means without its own problems, albeit in a volume far less consistent compared to Windows Vista’s. Still, users of the latest iteration of the Windows client will stumble across glitches in the operating system, some more severe than others, some just annoyances. As far as printing from Windows 7 is concerned, Microsoft informs that customers might find themselves unable to print large page documents using the platform.
Wonderful.
Then there are the compatibility issues we wrote about in:
Here is another new example of incompatibility:
Songbird is free and open source, and is available for Windows XP/Vista, Mac, and Linux. Currently, Windows 7 is not officially supported, though some users have reported no problems running it on their system—just be aware that it’s at your own risk if you decide to try it on Windows 7.
This is why enterprises are very reluctant to deploy Vista 7. As Wired Magazine put it several days ago:
In October, Microsoft unveiled Windows 7, the latest version of its operating system. This time around, there were no lines in parking lots, no breathless press coverage, no sense that a new computing era had begun. Indeed, some 40 percent of businesses said they had no plans to upgrade. Accessing the Net is what’s most important, and no one needs the latest Microsoft OS to do that. But Ellison himself provided the most glaring sign that the computing landscape had changed. Fourteen years earlier, he had reacted to the Windows 95 launch by becoming one of Microsoft’s loudest critics and most ambitious would-be competitors. This time, he said nothing. There was no need. The fight was over.
We have found 9 clusters of headlines about Vista 7 and none about Vista (in Google News). One short article about Vista 7 was titled: “Windows 7 – whats all the HYPE about?”
On Oct. 22, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took the stage in downtown New York at the lead event for a somewhat — for the software giant — soft-edged launch for Windows 7. Ballmer presided over a day of speechmaking and sales promotions in cities worldwide. But the events were on the whole smaller than the usual major Microsoft launches.
The Microsoft-focused Emil already starts spreading hype with vapourware (Vista 8). Microsoft never resorted to a vapourware pitch quite so early. Microsoft started speaking about “Windows 8″ 6 months before “Windows 7″ was even released!
So who else hypes up Vista 7? Well, how about Matt Rosoff, who describes himself as “an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, where he covers Microsoft’s consumer products and corporate news,” OK? This is the type of person CNET gives a blog to. They have not a single blogger there who covers Free software. It’s a problem of bias which we addressed many times before. The obvious role of bias can be seen in this post from Rosoff (Vista 7 promotion), who at least had the guts to say one negative thing about the company from which he makes a living.
Songsmith. The idea wasn’t all that bad. Karaoke is fun. Making music on computers is fun. So why not, reasoned some Microsoft researchers, create a program that fills in audio accompaniment as users sing. Unfortunately, the $29.95 price and unbelievably mockable promotional video turned Songsmith into an Internet laughingstock. Later videos featuring Songsmith’s accompaniment to the vocal tracks of songs like Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and Van Halen’s “Running With the Devil” highlighted the silliness.
One of our readers, Marti, has just announced that he would no longer touch Windows or offer Windows support to anyone (Marti tried Vista 7 and hated it).
Today I have decided to remove all instances of Microsoft Windows on all my machines and that I will not any longer provide gratis help for Microsoft Windows.
So, in summary, Vista 7 continues to suffer from real problems, but Microsoft’s ecosystem is trying to hide them. It even starts promoting an imaginary successor of it. This is the one that will solve all your problems! They promise. This time it’s for real. Really! Trust Microsoft. █
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Posted in Asia, Courtroom, Microsoft, Windows at 5:46 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Microsoft, the “pirate”, has decided to put an end to copies of its products that do not bring direct income (purchase price); this involves aggressive action and arrests that would only encourage use of GNU/Linux by sellers
A couple of weeks ago we saw Microsoft engaging in illegal activities in order to fine counterfeiters of its products in India. Microsoft — not the counterfeiters — was fined for trial abuse, which was not too surprising given the i4i trial misconduct. Microsoft plays dirty even in the courtroom.
News from India suggests that Microsoft is up for it again.
The CBI on Friday arrested the managing director of a software firm for allegedly carrying out piracy of Microsoft products. The accused, Kamlesh Jha, who heads a Dwarka-based firm, K K Solutions, was a gold certified partner of Microsoft, the complainant in the case.
Yes, Microsoft is sending to jail its gold-certified partners, too. So typical. Also see:
A managing director of a city based software firm, a gold certified partner of Microsoft, and his associate have been arrested for cheating and forgery of Microsoft products, officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said Friday.
Only weeks ago, Microsoft publicly said that counterfeiting was not a problem to its business. Prior to that, Microsoft even said that counterfeiting was beneficial to its business. We wrote about this before, e.g. in:
When Microsoft cracks down on illegal copies of its products, then something has clearly gone wrong with the business model. █
“As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours.”
–Bill Gates
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Posted in America, Antitrust, Courtroom, Law, Microsoft at 5:21 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Another new case is concluded, showing that Microsoft’s guilt is acknowledged by courts across the United States
BACK IN AUGUST we wrote about the settlement with Wisconsin schools. It’s one among many that we are seeing this year. The Associated Press has this new report (also here and here) which says:
An appeals court is ordering Microsoft Corp. to pay $5.6 million to a national law firm involved in a Wisconsin antitrust case against the software giant.
More information comes from the Wall Street Journal and Information Week:
The bonanza for attorneys opposing Microsoft in consumer antitrust litigation continues to pay dividends. A Wisconsin appeals court this week ordered the software firm to pay $5.6 million to a law firm that opposed Microsoft in consumer antitrust litigation.
The case, and similar cases, filed in states across the U.S. involved charges that Microsoft had overcharged for software purchased by consumers beginning in the 1990s.
[...]
In Wisconsin, the settlement called for Microsoft to give vouchers for cash after the purchase of various software and computer hardware products. For instance, a $23 voucher was made available for each Microsoft Office copy. The Wisconsin claims had to be filed by July 2007.
A detailed legal document can be found here. It was put online some days ago.
Candace Bettendorf, Bettendorf Transfer Inc., Dunn County, Jackson County, School District of Hudson and Wisconsin Counties Association, Plaintiffs-Respondents-Cross-Appellants,
v.
Microsoft Corporation, Defendant-Appellant-Cross-Respondent.
What one can learn from this is that Microsoft’s violations of the law are not history. █
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Posted in Security, Servers, Windows at 5:06 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Users of IIS on Windows Server are served another blow while they are on vacation; other minor news from the past week
JUST ABOUT every year — including the previous one — Microsoft clients are left to be worried about their computers. Statistics suggest that roughly one in two Windows PCs is a zombie PC.
This Christmas is no exception, but the main victim appears to be users of Windows Server with IIS. Microsoft already neglects Windows Server when it comes to security [1, 2, 3] and now comes this (reported on Christmas Day):
“Microsoft IIS vuln leaves users open to remote attack
A researcher has identified a vulnerability in the most recent version of Microsoft’s Internet Information Services that allows attackers to execute malicious code on machines running the popular webserver.
The bug stems from the way IIS parses file names with colons or semicolons in them, according to researcher Soroush Dalili. Many web applications are configured to reject uploads that contain executable files, such as active server pages, which often carry the extension “.asp.” By appending “;.jpg” or other benign file extensions to a malicious file, attackers can bypass such filters and potentially trick a server into running the malware.
How predictable. This begs for an explanation: why did the US government choose a Microsoft veteran to head security for example?
Howard Schmidt is still being analysed and Bruce Schneier writes:
I head this rumor two days ago, and The New York Times is reporting today.
Reporters are calling me for reactions and opinions, but I just don’t know. Schmidt is good, but I don’t know if anyone can do well in a job with lots of responsibility but no actual authority. But maybe Obama will imbue the position with authority — I don’t know.
Speaking of this additional Microsoft influence in the United States, Amico has just hired a Microsoft veteran.
Amico Engages Former Intel and Microsoft Software Developer for North American Expansion
[...]
Mr. Glass has over 20 years of experience in software development and has previously provided services for top companies such as British Telecom, Intel, Cisco Systems, Barclays and Microsoft.
Microsoft employees write buggy code. To give an example from several days ago, watch what Xbox is up to:
Microsoft Accidentally Charges $800 for Arcade Game
[...]
In all seriousness, this is certainly just an error on Microsoft’s part – someone meant to type in “800 MS Points” (or $10) and ended up pricing the game at 80 times that.
It could be a human error at the input level, but still…
Looking at something a little different now, Motley Fool, a Microsoft fan site for the most part, is worried about the continued decline of Internet Explorer, which represented a form of Microsoft grip on the Web.
StatCounter, an analytics firm, says that Firefox’s share of the browser market now stands at 32.06%, up almost seven percentage points from last November. Internet Explorer’s share fell more than 12 percentage points over the same period.
[...]
Microsoft investors have reason to worry. This is a war, and it’s being fought in the browser. The most functional environment for cloud computing will win this conflict. Going by the trend in the numbers, users increasingly believe that’s Firefox.
More information in:
According to some of the latest figures, Microsoft loses share in both Web browsers and Web servers. Security problems are among the catalysts spurring this trend. █
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