Bonum Certa Men Certa

Cablegate: Evidence of Yet More Microsoft OOXML Lobbying Through Politicians

Cablegate



Summary: Microsoft's Michel Levy uses propaganda to daemonise a pro-ODF policy, insult the president's pro-freedom policies, and pressure politicians to permit proprietary lock-in

IN THE YEARS 2007-2008 we spent a lot of time covering OOXML corruption. Microsoft had done in a few months the amount of misconduct most companies do not do throughout their entire existence. James Love has found this newly-release cable which shows lobbying for Microsoft in Brazil, at taxpayers' expense and against the interests of taxpayers. Quoting Mr. Love:



Levy claimed to be in possession of unsigned letters from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (which is referred to as "Itamaraty" in the cable), to foreign governments, asking that they collaborate to support the open source ODF as the international standard. Of course, if this was true, it would not be surprising, since at the time, there was broad support among non-US governments, non-Microsoft software companies, consumer groups and free software advocates to push for ODF as an open standard for file formats.

The cable says that Microsoft was seeking confidential advice, rather than advocacy, from the Ambassador. Such advice was forthcoming: "Ambassador Sobel did offer advice on various SIPDIS approaches Microsoft could take in generating support for standards that would have room for both ODF and XML software."


The subject of the original cable is "MICROSOFT SEES GOB ATTACKS AGAINST IPR" (GOB is Government of Brazil and IPR is a propaganda term for copyrights and patents). Here is the original Cablegate cable:








ZCZCXYZ0026 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHSO #1001 3551359 ZNY CCCCC ZZH (CCY ADDED CAPTION AD04181F2 MSI3697 508, O 211359Z DEC 07 FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7773 INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA IMMEDIATE 8916 RUEAWJF/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE C O N F I D E N T I A L SAO PAULO 001001 SIPDIS SIPDIS (C O R R E C T E D C O P Y: ADDED SIPDIS CAPTION) E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2017 TAGS: ECON[Economic Conditions], ETRD[Foreign Trade], ECIN?[Economic Integration and Cooperation], PREL[External Political Relations] SUBJECT: MICROSOFT SEES GOB ATTACKS AGAINST IPR Classified By: Econ/Pol Chief James Story for reasons 1.5 b and d.

€¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In a December 20 meeting in Sao Paulo with Ambassador Sobel, Microsoft Brazil President Michel Levy stated that current GOB policies are antagonistic towards Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). According to Levy, the GOB through the Foreign Ministry (Itamaraty) has mounted an international campaign to discredit Microsoft's proprietary XML format and is pushing for countries to adopt the ODF (Open Document Format) at the expense of XML at the March meeting of the International Standards Organization in Geneva. Levy sees both ideological issues as well as commercial interests at work in the GOB position. END SUMMARY.

€¶2. (C) Microsoft Brazil President Michel Levy requested a meeting with Ambassador Sobel on December 20 to discuss ways forward on working with what he characterized as an antagonistic GOB. According to Levy, Itamaraty has pressured the purportedly independent Brazilian Technical Standards Agency, ABNT to adopt a more aggressive posture against using XML as one of two possible standards, along with ODF, in Brazil. In addition, Levy stated that he is in the possession of unsigned letters from Itamaraty to various foreign governments requesting that the governments work together to support only the open source ODF as the international standard.

€¶3. (C) Levy believes that this issue has turned ideological and is a manifestation of anti-Americanism within Itamaraty. He cited President Lula's Chief of Staff Dilma Rousseff as well as high-ranking advisor Celso Alvarez as being the chief architects of an anti-IPR, anti-royalties strategy within the GOB. According to Levy, these advisors have convinced President Lula that there is no difference between ODF and proprietary XML software. His main concern is that the GOB will use the ABNT to adopt an ODF only standard by decree rather than going through Congress where Microsoft would at least have an opportunity to explain the differences between the software systems. Levy used as an example that all of Embraer's designs are created through XML and that the current ODF software simply can't do the same job. If ODF is the only standard, Levy argued, there could be economic ramifications for Brazil.

€¶4. (C) Levy then pointed out that commercially Microsoft faces an uneven playing field in Brazil. He stated that in addition to several bills in the Brazilian Congress that would deny the GOB the ability to buy proprietary software, there are reports that many recent bids that went to tender had specific, if unwritten, instructions that disallowed any Microsoft bids. He further stated that the issue of cross-retaliation on IPR from the cotton subsidies case is alive and well and could potentially come to pass in 2008.

€¶5. (C) While Levy made it clear that Microsoft is not asking for any USG advocacy at this point, and in fact requested that our communication be kept strictly confidential, Ambassador Sobel did offer advice on various SIPDIS approaches Microsoft could take in generating support for standards that would have room for both ODF and XML software. Specifically, the Ambassador thought Mircosoft should work through various trade groups to begin a discussion with the GOB on this issue. The Ambassador also indicated that Microsoft should get Brazilian companies to put this issue high on the agenda of the CEO Forum meetings to take place with Department of Commerce Secretary Gutierrez early next year.

€¶6. (C) COMMENT: The debate among various international standards (GPS, telecommunications, etc.) is not new in Brazil, and Levy's concerns about an anti-American ideology in the Brazilian Foreign Ministry are not only Microsoft's concern. Microsoft's concerns that the GOB is seeking to adopt one standard that does not allow for proprietary softwear, bears watching. A multi-industry push for a strategy that allows for Congressional debate over the relative merits of the software systems will certainly yield better results than Microsoft fighting this issue alone. END COMMENT. WHITE







Microsoft is trying to portray distrust of Microsoft as hatred of the US, which is a trick it pulls a lot. The above says that "Levy believes that this issue has turned ideological and is a manifestation of anti-Americanism within Itamaraty." If there is any "anti-Americanism", it is because of the likes of Levy who seek to disrupt policies overseas and turn entire massive populations into clients of some American monopolist that rose to power through criminal activities. Notice the daemonisation of Lula as well, using the "anti-IPR, anti-royalties" terms that mean nothing but protectionism and artificial monopoly enablers. Also mind this part: "The Ambassador also indicated that Microsoft should get Brazilian companies to put this issue high on the agenda of the CEO Forum meetings to take place with Department of Commerce Secretary Gutierrez early next year." Also see: "Microsoft's concerns that the GOB is seeking to adopt one standard that does not allow for proprietary softwear [sic], bears watching." How so? It is when the government accepts lock-in and code that cannot be audited that one should be concerned. It's the public which pays for it after all.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Why We Publish Information About the SLAPPs (But Not About the Legal Process), an Abuse of Process by Americans Trying to Silence Critics of Their Employer, Microsoft
It doesn't take thousands of pages to explain something simple
 
The Register MS Says "AI Web Crawlers Are Destroying Websites", So Why Does The Register MS Help 'AI' Companies? (Spoiler: Money)
People need to call out The Register MS on its hypocrisy
Slopfarms Already Peaked, They Will Die When Slop Companies Run Out of Money to Borrow
slopfarms will lack an actual "engine"
Links 02/09/2025: Attacks on Unions, Microsoft TCO, and DDoSing a Growing Problem
Links for the day
Internet Relay Chat Didn't Fall Off a Cliff
IRC will turn 40 in less than 3 years from now
The UEFI 9/11 - Part V - This is Not a Drill (Disable "SecureBoot" Now)
A "9/11" Coming
There's No Obligation to Speak to Anybody
The very fact that "bkuhn" is till spending time in social control media says a lot about his poor judgment
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, September 01, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, September 01, 2025
Microsoft Trying to Force People to Resign (Amid Mass Layoffs) a Strategy That Takes Its Toll
Microsoft seems to be circling down the drain and the "final flush" will be the moment the "hey hi" (AI) bubble implodes completely
Google Simply Cannot Be Trusted
Only fools would trust GAFAM
Admission That a Third Party (or Parties) Funds the SLAPPs Against Techrights
This can end up costing them over a million dollars
Modifying and Writing One's Own Computer Programs is Not a Crime (or: Google Proves That Stallman Was Right)
We're generally gratified to see so many positive mentions of him
Why We Stopped Publishing Videos (for Now)
We'll probably get back to videos one day, but it's hard to say when or to what extent
What Animal Rights Activism Teaches Us About Sympathy and Focus
It's possible to believe that the planet is warming, that we must do something about it, and still eat eggs and butter
When You Turn Web Sites About Tech Into Political Sites
A lot of people fall into the trap of catering only for particular groups
Gemini Links 02/09/2025: ROOPHLOCH 2025 and Lagrange 1.19 Released
Links for the day
Gemini Links 01/09/2025: News Corp. WSJ and A Month With NixOS
Links for the day
“Sideloading” Never Killed Anybody
There are many online discussions this week about the misnomer "sideloading"
Slopwatch: Google News as FUD Vector Against Linux and Plagiarism Enhancer, Serial Slopper (SS) Uses LLMs to Googlebomb "Linux"
Slop destroys the Web not just by screwing with search engines and helping plagiarists. It's also responsible for de facto DDoS attacks...
Links 01/09/2025: "Attacks on Science" and China's "Soft Power" Grows
Links for the day
Links 01/09/2025: Fresh Backlash Against Slop and "Norway’s Electricity Crisis is About to Hit Britain"
Links for the day
Writing and Coding Isn't Always Enough
Last year we had to assume a role we didn't have before: litigants
Links 01/09/2025: Catching Up (Mostly via Deutsche Welle), "Windows TCO" Effect in UK
Links for the day
Gemini Links 01/09/2025: Linguistic Barriers and "Web 1.0 Hosting"
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, August 31, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, August 31, 2025
Autumn Has Come
Autumn should be exciting in all sorts of ways; it'll also mark our anniversary
The UEFI 9/11 - Part IV - External Interference
They all seem to be playing a role in crushing Software Freedom and self-determination for users
Links 31/08/2025: Baggage Claim Scams, an Insurrectionist’s War on Culture, and a Sudden Robotics Hype
Links for the day
Gemini Links 31/08/2025: Reviewing Netsurf and Slightly Less Historic Ada Design
Links for the day
IBM Has Taken Control of GNOME
Don't expect a successor to be found any time soon
Links 31/08/2025: Google Gmail Data Breach and LF Puff Pieces for Pay
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, August 30, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, August 30, 2025
This is What Google News Has Become
Moments ago