From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from sccrmhc02.attbi.com ([204.127.202.62]) by speech.braille.uwo.ca with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 1787Wh-0000oF-00 for ; Wed, 15 May 2002 18:45:43 -0400 Received: from mycomputer ([24.62.38.156]) by sccrmhc02.attbi.com (InterMail vM.4.01.03.27 201-229-121-127-20010626) with SMTP id <20020515224516.JPX17203.sccrmhc02.attbi.com@mycomputer> for ; Wed, 15 May 2002 22:45:16 +0000 Message-ID: <001701c1fc61$fb6349e0$02263e18@mycomputer> From: "Igor Gueths" To: References: <001a01c1fb9f$cd21c9c0$02263e18@mycomputer> <00b601c1fc45$e3348ee0$fa0a9718@nt.charterne.com> Subject: Re: interesting story Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 18:43:50 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: speakup-admin@braille.uwo.ca Errors-To: speakup-admin@braille.uwo.ca X-BeenThere: speakup@braille.uwo.ca X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: speakup@braille.uwo.ca List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: Speakup is a screen review system for Linux. List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Hi Alex. Yeah I know about the xp thing, and I just posted it to = demonstrate everyone's theory that Microcrap is on the downward Spiral = (Nine Inch Nails and Trent Resner).=20 ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Alex Snow To: Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 3:22 PM Subject: Re: interesting story > Sounds just like Microcrap. Hypocritical. > And about that xp activation thing, it's been cracked. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Igor Gueths" > To: > Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2002 7:33 PM > Subject: interesting story >=20 >=20 > Hi all. Hope this is of interest. >=20 > Did Microsoft Flirt With Piracy? >=20 > Complaints about open-source software policy reveal = piracy > rap > in France. > Kim Zetter, special to PCWorld.com > Thursday, May 09, 2002 > While Microsoft cracks down on software pirates the = world > over, the software giant itself was quietly = convicted of > piracy charges in France last fall--and the case, = while > supposedly under appeal, may cost the company some > business. > The French division of Microsoft is facing a fine of = about > $422,000 for illegal use of another company's source = code > in > an animation program called Softimage 3D. The = program has > been > used to create such films as The Matrix, Men in = Black, and > Star Wars. But the dispute itself was cited by a > governmental > buyer who contends Microsoft should not complain = about > pirates > when it is guilty of the same transgression. = Microsoft did > not > respond to requests for comment. > Borrowed Code > The issue started in 1995 when Microsoft France = purchased > Softimage, a Canadian company that developed the 3D = CGI > animation program Softimage 3D. The acquired company = was > accused of illegally lifting source code from a > proprietary > program called Character, developed by the owners of = Syn'x > Relief, a company near Paris. > In 1994, Softimage had negotiated with Syn'x about > integrating > parts of the Character program into Softimage 3D. = But the > deal > fell through when Softimage demanded all rights to = the > code, > according to a report in PC World Malta. In 1995, = when > Syn'x > severed its relationship with Microsoft-Softimage, = the > company > assured Syn'x that it had removed "some or all" of > Character > from its software. But Syn'x charges that > Microsoft-Softimage > removed only one part of the code, and retained = eight > other > functions that Character's developers had registered = with > the > French National Intellectual Property Institute. > After Syn'x sent two letters to Softimage and = Microsoft > demanding the functions be removed, the company = filed > suit. In > 1998, Microsoft sold Softimage to Avid Technologies = but > remained responsible for the legal infringements of = its > former > wholly owned subsidiary. > Although Syn'x eventually fell into bankruptcy as a = result > of > the case, the program's authors continued their = fight. > Last > September the Commercial Court of Nanterre, France, > awarded > Syn'x the judgment for damages and interest. = Microsoft has > vowed to appeal the decision. > Sales Pitch Rebuffed > Microsoft's brush with piracy in France came to = light only > this week. The case was overshadowed at the time by = the > focus > on the September 11 terrorist attacks. But recently = a > Peruvian > congressman raised the issue in regard to a = Microsoft > contract. > Dr. Edgar David Villanueva Nu=F1ez corresponded in = April > with > Microsoft's general manager in Peru over proposed > legislation > there that would require any software used by the = Peruvian > government to be open source (or "free software," as = it's > referred to in Peru). Microsoft representatives = protested > the > plan, writing the congressman that producing = open-source > software makes a software company vulnerable to = piracy of > its > intellectual property by competitors. If Peru = mandates the > use > of open-source software by government agencies, it = "would > establish discriminatory and noncompetitive = practices in > the > contracting and purchasing" of software by public = bodies, > Microsoft stated. > Nu=F1ez was apparently not persuaded. He replied to > Microsoft: > "The inclusion of the intellectual property of = others in > works > claimed as one's own is not a practice that has been = noted > in > the [open-source] software community; whereas, > unfortunately, > it has been in the area of proprietary software." He = cited > specifically Microsoft's conviction by the = Commercial > Court of > France, "for violation of intellectual property = (piracy, > to > use the unfortunate term that your firm commonly = uses in > its > publicity)." > Meanwhile, Microsoft remains one of the most = outspoken > critics > of piracy, aggressively pursuing violators and = urging > authorities to crack down on anyone who illegally = copies > its > software. The company even went so far as to include = an > Activation Wizard in Windows XP, which prevents = customers > from > loading a single copy of XP onto more than one PC. = The > company > amended the policy after user outcry. >=20 >=20 > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup@braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >=20 >=20 >=20 > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup@braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup