07.26.19
Microsoft’s Legal Attacks on Eric Lundgren Demonstrate There’s No ‘New’ Microsoft Except a Super-Vicious, Law-Twisting Thug
This post is based on an informal preliminary discussion with Eric Lundgren, whose ordeals we hope to explain in weeks to come
Overview
- You are here ☞ Part 1: Microsoft’s Legal Attacks on Eric Lundgren Demonstrate There’s No ‘New’ Microsoft Except a Super-Vicious, Law-Twisting Thug
- Part 2: Microsoft Windows Puts Recyclers Like Eric Lundgren in Prison and Patients Six Feet Under the Ground
- Part 3: Microsoft Put an Innocent, Heroic Man in Prison. Then Microsoft Ran Away.
Microsoft’s Declaration of War on Recyclers
- Part 4: Microsoft Being Microsoft, Bullying Everyone Who Reduces Microsoft’s Profits
- Part 5: Microsoft’s War on the Right to Repair (One’s Own Computers) Makes Lundgren an ‘Enemy’ to Microsoft
- Part 6: Damage Control Mode: Satya Nadella Fleeing Lundgren After Realising What Microsoft Had Done
- Part 7: Slander and Libel From Microsoft (Demonising the Victim)
- Part 8: Similar High-Profile ‘Bargains’ (Aaron Swartz and Marcus Hutchins)
The Legal Aftermath
Pending review and research
Summary: The person whom Microsoft sent to prison for doing the moral thing has had an informal chat with Techrights, which plans to explore and study the case more closely
Yesterday we published an article about computer recycling (also published yesterday is this article about new Microsoft crimes, which are related to it). The subject is likely going to be part of an upcoming series, likely a rather long one (there’s another one in the making about Windows in hospitals).
The story of Eric Lundgren was mentioned here many times in the past. The story was also widely covered in the mainstream media, including some of the very biggest names, the so-called journals of record. Smaller sites covered that in length, e.g. [1, 2].
We first became aware of Eric Lundgren’s situation before it made it into the media (any of it); people had told us about it. This year we’re going to revisit the story, which isn’t over yet. There is a lot to be learned from it and plenty worth showing. We’re going to do this in multiple installments and cite relevant material and sources as we go along.
Our coverage of the matter won’t be slanted or biased. We’ll stick to the underlying facts, which are in their own right pretty damning. It’s really hard to understand why a sane company would go through all this trouble. When dealing with Microsoft, however, sanity isn’t a factor. Insanity prevails and a schoolyard bully’s mentality/mindset guides the legal department.
“They actually went back and threatened to Sue everyone that wrote about me.. Like WAPO [Washington Post], HLN, FORBES, The Verge, LA TIMES, Etc.”
–Eric LundgrenSeveral years ago a friend of Eric Lundgren spoke to us right before the story broke. The Washington Post story had the most impact at the time. “I spent (1) year in Prison for distribution of freeware that was valued at $700,000,” Lundgren tells us. He recently got out of prison, having been sent there for a non-crime; as many explained at the time, the man deserves an award, not prison time. If anyone deserved time behind bars, it’s the people who fought hard to put him there. In his own words:
“I built the world’s longest range electric car and largest hybrid electronic recycling company,” he told us. “Stopped eWaste Burning in Ghana Africa w. Gov. and then US. Then the Gov. put me in prison [...] for distribution of freeware restore CD’s.”
We think it’s pretty amazing one can get jailed for doing something moral. As we recall it, Microsoft hired/assigned lots of PR people to try to cover up what Microsoft had done. It did not like and probably did not anticipate the generated negative publicity. Some of us know the case pretty well because it was discussed in IRC before it was even in the news.
“Microsoft did hire a bunch of PR,” Lundgren confirmed to us. “They actually went back and threatened to Sue everyone that wrote about me.. Like WAPO [Washington Post], HLN, FORBES, The Verge, LA TIMES, Etc.”
We should note that we’re quoting here an informal discussion, hence typed in a hurry. We’re certain Lundgren can express himself more clearly in a formal setting, but that’s not the point. At this stage, which is exploratory, we’re putting together some raw facts from one who was unjustly put behind bars. It was Microsoft that put him there; typical Microsoft…
“To be honest,” he told us, “I was just trying to get people free repair tools. Nothing was sold.”
“It was crazy,” he continued, “Microsoft flew a single witness from Ireland to my trial, the guy walks in – hands the judge a document that my lawyer and I could not see. When the judge was done reading it – he asked Microsoft what the value of a “Restore CD” is.. And Microsoft lied under oath.. They stated a “Restore CD” is worth $25.00/EA.”
“The judge didn’t understand the difference between a “Restore CD” and a “License”,” he complained, “and Microsoft convinced the judge that the “Restore CD” was of equal value and functionality to a new MSFT OS w. new license! I was honestly dumbfounded.. I kept waiting for someone to get it in court .. Instead – The judge threw out all of my expert witness’ testimony and only kept Microsoft’s testimony..”
I suggested or put forth the possibility that Microsoft played a role in selection of this judge in light of what we recently covered here. “If you can select the judge, you choose outcomes,” I told him.
“Very possible,” he replied. “My expert witness = Glenn Weadock – This guy wrote the book “Windows For Dummies” and trained MSFT employees for 16 years! [...] His testimony was thrown out – along with all my other expert witness’ [..] The Federal Judge in my case retired right after the case was over.. Then.. A few months later – MY LAWYER became the new federal judge in the same district.. Bruce Reinhart…”
Politics in the courtrooms aren’t unprecedented and we recently did a whole series about it (regarding EPO courts). One must not forget that Bill Gates’ father is the man behind a very powerful legal firm that is politically connected (we published many articles about that over the years).
Lundgren was sort of tricked if not blackmailed. It was the old trick of plea ‘bargain’ that was leveraged against him. “They threatened me with 47 Years in Prison,” he told us. “So my only choice was to plea-bargain.. I told them I would ONLY plead guilty to “Restore CD Without License” but then Microsoft convinced the judge to value a Restore CD at the SAME VALUE as a Full Microsoft OS w. License!”
If there’s a ‘new’ Microsoft, it’s not a very good one. It’s not a gentle one, either. They like to pretend it’s a charity now, the Gates Foundation.
“Microsoft has written in Print things that are 100% NOT TRUE about me,” Lundgren said. “How do I address this? Their “Slander/Libel Campaign” against me just makes me sick.”
There’s no easy way to tackle this in a corporate world or a world dominated, from top to bottom, by corporate power. In fact, they can get away with it (slandering people), knowing they have deeper pockets and more connections.
“At one point,” Lundgren explained, “they accused me of making computers susceptible to virus & hacking.. They also said I was trying to Decieve people.. None of this was true, it was their original free restore CD software and it was NOT changed in any way.. Same software anyone can Download online for FREE at the time.. I was just trying to help people that didn’t know how to download and I wasn’t trying to deceive anyone. I actually lost money on this.. and went to PRISON!”
This whole affair was proof or evidence of what Microsoft really is. Microsoft was eager to mothball reporting on it because it’s all about perceptions to them.
“I am a big fan of RightToRepair & iFixIT,” Lundgren explained. “They help me keep electronics working, in use, and out of our landfills!”
Microsoft recently got mentioned in the media for fighting the right to repair. “Electronic Waste represents 70% of the Toxic material in our landfills leaching into our water & food,” Lundgren continued. “Being burnt overseas.. We need to stop throwing this stuff away! [...] It’s time to fix the eWaste epidemic once and for all! Honestly.. If they want to stop me from Recycling – The’ll have to kill me! It’s not that they are anti-recycling.. It’s all about the $$$ with them. Consumers must waste for their profit to increase… Society must USE and TOSS.”
He mentioned Planned Obsolescence. “I just want them to leave recyclers & repair shops alone.. and customers! [...] If what I went through is able to spark the debate & promote change then it was worth it… I wouldn’t wish Prison on my worst enemy.. It’s just endless pointless suffering. ”
“They made my life hell,” he partly joked, but I told him that they bully everyone, still. In 2019 they still shake down companies using patents because they distribute Linux (Foxconn). “Foxconn has deeper pockets than yours,” I told him, and “we recently showed several stories on how they try to cause people to lose their job, mine included…”
Fyodor Dostoevsky once said: “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.”
A society that arrests recyclers doesn’t look too good.
As Lundgren put it: “Let’s help people control their own tech! In all seriousness – we are recycling 43 Million LBS of eWaste every year. Next – we will open recycling centers for EV Batteries worldwide. I truly live for recycling! We are all about re-using the parts and components in new applications to serve multiple life-cycles.
“When I am done Recycling Computers – I want to start a company to help Recycle-Lives. These people in Prison need direction & opportunity as to lower the recidivism rate.. It’s crazy that the recidivism rate is 68% within the first (3) years! Honestly – PRISONS ARE THE SOCIAL EQUIVALENT OF OUR LANDFILLS. As a Recycler – I believe there is value in everything.. I believe even Microsoft can be recycled into something good.”
“Microsoft is morality’s landfill,” I told him, “you assume goodwill [but] Microsoft belongs out of business. I keep having to explain to people they're very unique… not many companies would do this.”
To quote former Netscape Chairman James H. Clark: “Microsoft is, I think, fundamentally an evil company.”
How many companies out there would do things like these?
He said: “The company is made up of people.. People that answer to bosses whom answer to the CEO whom answers to Shareholders whom care about Stock Prices, Influence & Mitigating Risk.. Those Share-Holders are willing to turn a blind-eye to those in charge whom are able to make decisions that are good for MSFT although potentially bad for humanity..”
But Bill Gates controls the company and he is a longtime sociopath. Paul Allen (co-founder), who recently died, was a patent troll; the company is all rot and a fish rots from the head down. █
Content is available under CC-BY-SA
ATSS said,
August 5, 2019 at 12:32 pm
In this article, there is clear bias instead of just reporting facts, even as the author of the article asserts there is no bias.
There are 2 issues here, not one.
1. Vendors like Microsoft and Dell purposely discouraging the repair of their computers. This is very true, and indeed a big concern
2. Eric Lundgren purposely and deliberately misleading the non tech-savvy masses (including media outlets) by hiding behind point number one while he was setting up Chinese distribution to create and import COUNTERFEIT recovery disks and SELLING them for profit as genuine.
-J