02.10.10
Intel and Microsoft in Trouble With the Law Again
Summary: Intel executive found guilty of conspiracy and securities fraud; Microsoft faces new backlash from politicians
WHEN it comes to Intel, we have already covered stories of bribes, various types of corruption with Microsoft [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6], and even collusion with Microsoft [1, 2]. Here comes yet another conviction which sheds light on this company’s criminal tendencies.
Former Intel executive Rajiv Goel has pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy and securities fraud in connection with the Galleon insider trading case. Goel is the tenth person to plead guilty in the case, which the FBI and the US attorney’s office in Manhattan call the largest hedge fund inside trading case in US history.
In other news, despite the recent attacks from China — attacks which exploited defective Microsoft software [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12] — Microsoft is gradually moving to places of cheaper labour, notably China:
Microsoft’s China Outsourcing Totals $142m
Microsoft’s (Nasdaq:MSFT) outsourcing projects in China totaled $142 million in fiscal 2009, DoNews reported February 3 citing Microsoft Greater China CEO and President Liang Nianjian. Liang reiterated the company’s previously announced plan to spend $ 1 billion on research and development in China in the future, according to the report.
Maybe this is why Microsoft defended China and not Google, which was reportedly attacked by China (there were dozens of smaller victims too). Microsoft booster Gavin Clarke indicates that US politicians are concerned about Microsoft datacentres moving people’s data around the United States for tax exemptions (more illicit cost savings [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]), but how about addressing the issue of Microsoft storing data abroad (and censoring search results in favour of totality over in China)? In some countries, this would qualify as treason, but Microsoft enjoys enormous political power in the United States government. █
