04.02.09
Gemini version available ♊︎US Taxpayers Spend Money to Repair Microsoft-Imposed Damage
Summary: Conficker tools developed by the DHS shortly after Microsoft had entered it
THE Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seems to have already become somewhat of a department of Microsoft. It happened soon after they had appointed a Microsoft executive to take charge [1, 2] under pressure from BSA folks (some of whom are former employees of Bill Gates' dad, who habitually assists his son’s business [1, 2, 3]).
The DHS has just developed and released Windows-only software — a tool that should have been made at Microsoft’s own expense, not by a department of the government. The DHS essentially has taxpayers pay for the damages caused by Microsoft's incompetence/negligence, namely Conficker, which we wrote about earlier today.
Speaking of the BSA, which routinely fights against Free software [1, 2, 3, 4, 5], here it is bragging about the bullying of yet another business that mistakenly chose non-Free software. The BSA even uses a press release which appears in Fox and comes from Washington. It’s a brand-new example.
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) today announced that Taney Engineering, Inc. and Taney Cunningham Equipment, LLC of Henderson, Nevada, a joint civil engineering and land survey services company, settled a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (Docket #C08-03132) alleging copyright infringement. BSA initially contacted the companies through its out-of-court audit program. When that proved unsuccessful, a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop the defendants from making or distributing unauthorized copies of Autodesk software as well as an unspecified amount of damages and attorneys’ fees in connection with the litigation, was filed on behalf of Autodesk, Inc., a BSA member company. The suit was filed on June 30, 2008 and settled in December.
So, what is the contribution of non-Free software to local businesses? Apart from promoting cheaper foreign labour [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] at the expense of decent working conditions, Microsoft is now also advancing more of the same (Abramoff visas).
Microsoft reiterates H-1B support despite layoffs, tough economy
In a new blog post, Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith voices continued support for the H-1B visa program that Microsoft and other technology companies use to bring foreign guest workers into the United States. Smith’s post, titled “Appreciating our Immigration System,” come in advance of the annual window in which companies file for the visas.
What’s good for Microsoft is good for Microsoft (a privatised monopoly abuser), not for America. Let us not forget that Microsoft is using stimulus money to build bridges. That would be American taxpayers sponsoring Microsoft and there are similar blunders in other parts of the world [1, 2]. It is looting of the public, plain and simple.
Someone has anonymously sent us this presentation about “European ICT Strategy: Software Tea Party.”
Microsoft-sponsored infiltrators like ACT [1, 2] are trying to ensure countries across the world remain digital colonies to Microsoft. And in a special April Fool’s prank, IDG states that Microsoft is asking the government for taxpayers-funded bailout.
Microsoft asks feds for a bailout [Joke]
[...]
Pepper also said that his sources within Microsoft were indicating that the money might be used for a surprising purpose: suing Apple, Google, open source companies, and other entities Microsoft has labeled “revenue stealers” in internal communications. Microsoft has antagonized the companies in the past and most recently sued Linux vendor TomTom over alleged patent violations.
According to Pepper, Microsoft sees litigation as a possible revenue stream, although he believes such a strategy would be for the short term only. “I don’t see Microsoft getting into the business of suing everybody willy-nilly,” he said. “But as a stopgap measure while it struggles with the economic climate, Microsoft believes litigation can be a revenue-positive undertaking.”
Yes, to be a little sarcastic here, the American public absolutely must invest in lawsuits against 'nasty' European companies like TomTom because they dare to use Linux, which is not American. █
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David Gerard said,
April 2, 2009 at 11:39 am
Hrmph! I did the bailout story in January!
Roy Schestowitz said,
April 2, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Steve Ballmer broke the story in September/October.
Microsoft calls on Congress to reconsider bailout
Ballmer: Congress must ‘stabilize’ financial crisis
Ballmer says Microsoft not immune from global crisis