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New Microsoft Dirty Tricks Revealed

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the sleights-of-hand dept.

Conrad Mazian writes "Robert X. Cringely has an article on the Technology Evangelist web site where he claims that Microsoft destroyed evidence in the Burst vs Microsoft case. Specifically Burst's lawyers had asked for certain emails, Microsoft claimed that they couldn't find the backup tapes the emails would be on, and while this was happening the tapes were in a vault at Microsoft — until they mysteriously disappeared. It's a fascinating story, and even names one person at Microsoft."

8 of 207 comments (clear)

  1. It's sad... by Xenographic · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The only way to kill an evil company appears to be to bankrupt it.
    What on earth does it take to revoke a corporate charter these days?

  2. Re:According to Slashdot logic by Timesprout · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The patents are generic and Burst pulled the same shit with Apple, claiming they infringed them as well.

    --
    Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
    What truth?
    There is no dupe
  3. One small problem by Wolfraider · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Any one noticed one big problem in this post. All of Microsoft's email is stored in pst files? Wouldn't they be using a email system like Microsoft Exchange that stores all emails on the server? It does not make sense from a company standpoint to download all email to your desktop at work and not have it available anywhere.

  4. Re:And your point, redux? by runningduck · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Enron is not gone because the reality that they actually had no money overtook their fiction, Enron is gone because they changed their name to CrossCountry Energy Corp. While most of their business activities stopped they were too well connected to just disappear.

    http://www.enron.com/corp/pressroom/releases/2003/ ene/062503release.html
    http://www.igorinternational.com/press/bloomberg-c orporate-business-name.php - read down a bit.
    http://money.cnn.com/2002/02/22/news/enron_roundup /index.htm?
    --
    -rd
  5. Re:Oh, NO! by magixman · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Seriously, I know Microsoft is supposed to be evil and all, but even Disney does this. Just about every one, corporate, individual, government, does this type of thing when faced with a lawsuit. I'm not saying its right, but I think the only reason this one made Slashdot was because it was Microsoft and there is, admittedly, a hefty anti-Microsoft Knee-Jerk element here.
    It doesn't make it right. But people get away with it. Remember a guy named Frank Quattrone. Sent around a mail to his employess asking them to "clean up" their files before a grand jury inquiry. He was inicted but he got off (barely). Now this was a grand jury and not a civil proceeding and still he walked. So unless some one comes out and testifies that "Ballmar told me to do it", it will remain just a good Slash Dot read.
  6. Stupidity trumps malice here by Myria · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Regardless of your opinion about Microsoft, it seems like this is a case of stupidity of either Microsoft IT or their contractor, not malice. The last thing you want to do when you're being sued is destroy the documents subpoenaed during discovery. Having a corporate policy of deleting all emails regularly is one thing; expressing deleting a document that you know will be subpoenaed is quite another.

    Microsoft's lawyers aren't stupid, though other parts of the company may be. If Microsoft were deleting incriminating documents that are subpoenaed, how does my signature exist? How could these documents be any more damaging than the others that did get released?

    --
    "Screw Sun, cross-platform will never work. Let's move on and steal the Java language." - Visual J++ Product Manager
  7. Re:Microsoft's M.O. by dabraun · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "They generate a large fraction of the US GNP, "

            They do? And assuming they do, is that a get out of jail free card?
            If so, why?


    Because, if that's true, then making Microsoft dissapear off the face of the earth would have a significant effect on the economy of the United States. That is, like it or not, more important to the US government than applying absolute justice to Microsoft is.

    That doesn't mean the government can't levy huge fines, etc. They love taking money from people and entities that they have full control over, but if they kill the company, they don't get to take the money anymore ...
  8. Re:Oh, NO! by sgt_doom · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Unfortunately, Microsoft has a lengthy history of this sort of behavior. Certainly, it's no coincidence that a long-time legal firm in Seattle which boasts a number of labor sweatshops as clients (and formerly employed one Jack Abramoff as their Washington, D.C., lobbyist) was named Preston, Gates, Ellis (they have merged with another firm and now go under a different name).

    One repeatedly hears M$ touted as an example of postive capitalistic behavior. Puuhlease....Bill Gates is the one who was behind a state labor law passed in Washington back in 2000 by their Department of Labor and Industry which puts an earnings cap on independent contractors!!! Why they should care when they are offshoring soooo many jobs - I guess it's just spite plus amorality......

    But on the plus side, their new media stuff sure looks just like Apple's....