Summary: Microsoft is reportedly paying billions of dollars (negative pricing) for unfair competition against Free (as in freedom) software that it is extorting using patents to induce fees

II sure seems like Microsoft has done enough, especially with moles in the national healthcare programme, to undermine FOSS and GNU/Linux in key areas of government operations. When people leave Microsoft they often turn into moles. Stephen Elop is one among many examples; in recent years he became the most famous such mole, and people generally know about him because the corporate media covers it. There are many more examples like him. It is now being reported that another entity, a fraud partner of Enron (to which Microsoft is similar because of confirmed financial misconduct), will get involved in the same programme. What an effective way to discredit national healthcare. Fraudsters are being put in charge. It's corruption, just like repeated financial fraud at Microsoft (maybe it's collaborations/collusion with the NSA that gave Microsoft immunity from criminal prosecution/legal actions, not to mention funneling of public money from black budget).

Microsoft's illegal actions are not a thing of the past though.

Now that there is "damage control", following reports that Microsoft is bribing companies like B&N, not just dumping 'free' (gratis) traps, we should keep an eye open for potentially new moles like Blair Westlake. The reports are denied by Shaw, who is a proven liar (it's formally his job and we proved him to be a liar quite a few times before), but there is most likely substance to this (Microsoft paying billions to OEMs to prevent them from choosing Linux, only the numbers are being challenged). As the author puts it, "Mobile-Review.com's Eldar Murtazin, who has provided some accurate Windows Phone scoops before, reports Microsoft (MSFT) will be making $2.6B in "support" payments (likely including marketing spend) to OEM partners in 2014 to compel them to make one Windows Phone apiece.

"Samsung (SSNLF, SSNLF) is said to be receiving $1.2B, Sony (SNE) $500M, Huawei $600M, and other firms $300M."

Windows Mobile was such a failure that Microsoft is now struggling to keep any presence at all in mobile. As iophk puts it, "what are the real numbers then?"

Sosumi said, "windows mobile is so bad that MS has to bribe OEMs" and iophk said, "like with regular windows, too." (e.g, in netbooks)

MinceR said, "hopefully that android won't have to be virtualized on top of winblows (building a castle on a swamp...)"

Where are antitrust regulators? Bribes as a business model are not an acceptable strategy. It's a serious abuse and there are laws against it. Sure, Microsoft's close partners at the NSA are confirmed to be spying (espionage) on EU regulators under pretexts like "terrorism" (reported months ago), but these people should still be able to do their job. ⬆