NYT: Russia Uses Microsoft to Suppress Dissent
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sun 12th Sep 2010 21:16 UTC
Microsoft Piracy is a big problem for large software vendors licensors like Microsoft. As such, the Redmond giant is undertaking several anti-piracy efforts all over the world, and, of course, it attempts to make its software harder to crack through activation and validation. As The New York Times has discovered, however, the prevalence of pirated Microsoft software in Russia is giving the Russian authorities a pretence to raid the offices of outspoken advocacy groups or opposition media - supported by Microsoft lawyers. Update: Microsoft responds with a blog post that says all the right things, including "Microsoft will create a new unilateral software license for NGOs that will ensure they have free, legal copies of our products."
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trenchsol
Member since:
2006-12-07

Well, certain groups of people are obsessed with Microsoft. I don't like their software, too, but have more urgent business to do instead of finding new ways to insult Microsoft.

Far as I am concerned, after the DOJ case in 1999, they are much more open. Is it because they are forced to or did they have change of heart, frankly I don't care. I think that making analogies between corporate entities and human individuals is pretty stupid. Thinking of some companies as "evil" and others as "good" won't get you anywhere. Well, except, it would increase on line traffic and number of forum posts, which will make advertisers happy.

If there was no Microsoft, Russian authorities would have found another way to make life harder to opposition. They are creative in that kind of business and have long tradition that goes back in the days of Tsar.

Reply Parent Score: 2

Soulbender Member since:
2005-08-18

If there was no Microsoft, Russian authorities would have found another way to make life harder to opposition


Right, because that makes it ok. If we don't then someone else would. Hey, I mean, what the hell. Who cares if someone sell weapons to both sides of a conflict right? Someone has to, you know. Who cares if you betray your country and sell military secrets to Al Queda or China or North Korea? They'd have found out sooner or later anyway.
Fatalism is awesome like that.

Reply Parent Score: 4

trenchsol Member since:
2006-12-07

Don't you think that you are exaggerating a bit ? Government offices in Russia are, probably, full of illegal Microsoft and other software and no one cares. Do you really believe that Microsoft is helping Russian government ? Perhaps they are sending hit squads at night to assassinate government opponents and copyright violators ? MSFT = Microsoft Special Forces Team, I have always suspected that.....

Reply Parent Score: 2

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