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Diebold Sues Massachusetts for "Wrongful Purchase"

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the better-lawyers-instead-of-better-products dept.

elBart0 writes "Diebold has decided to sue the commonwealth of Massachusetts for choosing a competitor to provide voting machines for the disabled. Diebold wants to force the state to stop using the machines immediately, despite the upcoming municipal elections in many towns. The commonwealth chose the competitor based on an open process that included disabled groups. Diebold executives appeared confused when encountering election officials who made an intelligent choice."

7 of 422 comments (clear)

  1. Good move! by Vengeance · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I know nothing will motivate me to use a company's products like having them SUE my ass. Is Diebold kidding or something, here? I want to see them get smacked down, and HARD.

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    It was a joke! When you give me that look it was a joke.
  2. Biased Summary by setirw · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Although I don't support Diebold either, please keep personal opinion out of the summaries. Quotes like "diebold executives appeared confused when encountering election officials who made an intelligent choice" don't belong in objective news reporting.

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    This message printed on 100% post-consumer recycled electrons.
    1. Re:Biased Summary by Trails · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Joke's on you! Objective news reporting has no place in Slashdot!

      In all honesty though, a bit of editorialising is warranted here. What if Coke sued you because you bought a Pepsi? What if AMD sued you because you bought an Intel chip?

      Diebold's premise is moronic and it invites speculation as to how closely related the parents of their board members are, and which particular brand of crack their counsel are smoking.

  3. Correct me if I'm wrong by antifoidulus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    but wasn't one of Diebold's main selling points on using computerized voting over paper ballots that computerized voting systems help disabled people vote?(I do believe at some point they invoked the Americans with Disabilities act as a rationale for deploying these systems). So now disabled people actually help pick out a system and Diebold sues? (I guess according to Diebold disabled people aren't able enough to choose a system wisely :P)

    Words fail.

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    Monstar L
  4. Re:Makes sense (no, really!) by tgd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah heaven forbid an important decision could be made via non-verifiable means with no paper trail...

  5. Re:In Soviet Massachusetts... by Mick+Ohrberg · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wait a minute. I RTFA, and it actually does look like Diebold is suing because they're sore losers? No breach of contract, but just because they didn't win the bid? Am I missing something here? Does that mean Ford can sue me if I buy a Chevy?

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    Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.

  6. Re:In Soviet Massachusetts... by RollingThunder · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, I believe he means the parallels to people who want to see the source code for the Diebold voting machines (proprietary scoring format), and who wins the elections (contract).