Slashdot Mirror
Nigerian Government Nixes Microsoft's Mandriva Block
An anonymous reader writes "After trying to bribe a local supplier with a $400,000 marketing contract, Microsoft has still apparently lost out in trying to woo Nigeria's government to use Windows over Linux. Microsoft threw the money at the supplier after it chose Mandriva Linux for 17,000 laptops for school children across Nigeria. The supplier took the bait and agreed to wipe Mandriva off the machines, but now Nigeria's government has stepped in to stop the dirty deal."
In some countries it's also illegal to try to bribe someone. In Sweden it's under the name "bestickning".
If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
Ummmm
The company shipping the laptops took money to wipe out Mandriva and ship with Windows.
So, I have a contract with you to buy 10000 widgets painted in red Du Point paint. And, 3m pays you money to paint them in a 3m yellow. Is that OK?
This isn't a "dirty" deal in what way?? It's doing an end run around the people they have a contract with. They did not have a contract with Microsoft, and Microsoft did not have standing to alter the terms of the contract.
I would call this dirty. Hell, I'd call it fraud.
Cheers
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Man, people these days...
I know that there is common misunderstanding and false assumption that bribery is only possible in government level. No, in business world it happens even more frequently and it IS illegal (Even if some business people would like to think otherwise). I won't get into details how much laws Microsoft broke with doing this, but please, people, keep that in mind - business or government level, such actions are illegal and can get your sorry ass to the courtroom in any country.
user@ubuntubox:~$ stfu This server is going down for shutdown NOW!
Actually, Microsoft's localization is pretty good compared to some of the FOSS projects I've seen, not that it excuses Microsoft for other bad behavior. And no country must use Windows in English unless they really want to. There are good and viable choices other than Windows for all but the most obscure languages. See the planetlimux.org site for one interesting adaptation in municipal government as an example.
---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
IANAL, but I believe the pertinent law is the FPCA = Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Most bribary laws punish the person to accecpts the bribes not the person who gives the bribes, unless it is extortion. Bringing Clients to an expensive luch, giving them tickes to a sports game. It happends, and because the laws are targted at the reciever not the giver there is no reason for Microsoft not to try. So they lost the Deal, They wouldn't have gotten it in the first place if they didn't try. IT is really a no loss situation for them and it gave them a better chance of winning. It is not big news... Sorry. No, you're incorrect. It is illegal for a U.S. firm to bribe foreign officials, even if the bribery is legal in that country. This is because of a piece of legislation called the "Foreign Corrupt Practices Act," or FCPA.
Now personally, setting aside Microsoft, I think the FCPA is stupid, and tends to just put U.S. businesses at a disadvantage versus businesses from other countries that don't try to apply their own laws extra-territorially, or just generally have a more relaxed attitude towards bribery. It's a piece of legislation that was made at at time when the U.S. world leadership position was a lot stronger; now, it's just shooting ourselves in the foot.
But anyway, despite being stupid, the FCPA is law, and I strongly suspect that what Microsoft did was blatantly illegal under it. Not that they'll be punished or anything, but it's illegal.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
I want to mod you troll, but you're exactly right. So I'll reply to you instead and remove the temptation.
XP is genuinely a fairly competent system. If you like closed source. And six-year-old privilege-escalation vulnerabilities. And Defective Restriction Management. And a vendor that tries to destroy every free alternative to their product with BS patent/copyright lawsuits. And supporting a convicted monopolist. And...
Also, how on earth do you have such high uptime if every monthly patch requires a reboot? You're not...unpatched, are you?
Just another "DOJ fascist authoritarian totalitarian bootlicker" -- Zeio
Pedophilia is a mental disorder, not an activity, nor a legal concept. You meant child molestation.
It's not a bribe--there is no individual that is receiving the money. Instead, Microsoft would spend $$ marketing the TCS's classmate PC in Africa (if they choose windows).
Things like this occur in businesses every day in America. This is neither illegal or even shady. As usual the slashdot summary is slightly biased.
And not just "when done in the US". If its done anywhere in the world with the intent (even if its not the only intent) of reinforcing a US monopoly (such as, say, by preventing broader global adoption of Linux which would put pressure on US marketshare as more desirable software was available exclusively for Linux, providing an incentive for people to switch from Windows) it can violate US antitrust law.
Duel CPU : you closest group of friends : form a Slashdot effect : actualy : havent : delt : Adition : non Zealously : preconsived : actaully : useing : simular : desinged : then I have
You know, I don't like to judge people by the odd spelling mistake or bit of dodgy grammar. We all make mistakes and it's not like spelling is generally all that important in making your writing understandable. However the number of spelling mistakes in your post (I won't even start on the grammar) makes you sound like an idiot. If you have dyslexia or English isn't your mother tongue, use a spell checker, if you're just stupid then don't post.
Or in the case of sexual conduct with a teen under the age of consent: statutory rape.
(I just mention it because a lot of people think that doing that makes you a pedophile, but the latter are attracted to pre-pubertal children. Age of consent on the other hand varies from 12-21 around the world and thus is hard to use as a marking stick in that sense.)