Re: I am "OPENLY ADVOCATING" for Bruce to be removed as a MVP!

From: Ian Merrithew (optimus2861_at_no.spam.com)
Date: 03/12/04 

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2004 00:27:34 GMT

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 22:28:18 +0000, Mike Brannigan [MSFT] wrote:

> The deliberate breach of a license agreement for software and in
> particular the multiple installations of unlicensed copies of Windows is
> software piracy.

Yup, classic Microsoft thinking. No definition of copyright infringement
in the United States includes the installation of a retail copy of
software on the owner's own computer(s) for personal use, as in fact that
right is *explicitly* reserved to the owner of the copy (which renders the
entire Windows EULA a complete farce, since it purports to give you a
right *you already have*). So Microsoft doesn't label it copyright
infringement; they choose the nebulous term "piracy", which has no legal
definition, so that *they* can decide who is and isn't a "software
pirate", based on *their* say-so and theirs alone.

And they wonder why Linux continues to make inroads, when they institute
policies to treat all consumers as potential "pirates".

Never mind the recent news of Microsoft's fingers being all over an
8-figure transfusion of cash into a certain Utah litigation^W software
company embroiled in FUD-flinging against Linux, which, if not an outright
violation of anti-trust law & its settlement, is at least a slimy,
underhanded, unethical move. Par for the course for this convicted
monopolist.

To kurt: keep up the good fight, though you do seem to be getting a might
wound-up lately. Have a beer :). 

-- 
Ian Merrithew - ADM Systems Engineering
ian.merrithew "at" ieee.org
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