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LANCOR v. OLPC Case Continues In Nigerian Court

Posted by timothy on from the get-your-passport-and-account-numbers dept.

drewmoney writes "According to an article on Groklaw: It's begun in a Nigerian court. LANCOR has actually done it. Guess what the Nigerian keyboard makers want from the One Laptop Per Child charitable organization trying to make the world a better place? $20 million dollars in 'damages,' and an injunction blocking OLPC from distribution in Nigeria."

3 of 281 comments (clear)

  1. It is about kickbacks by canuck57 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I guess OLPC didn't pay the kickback moneys in pricing the deal now the corrupt are howling foul. Goes to show us in the free world how well we are off when institutionalized corruption is so rampant.

    Or is it the government wanting to keep people dumb and stupid so they don't revolt for a democracy?

    Would be interesting to see who bribed who to deprive the children from knowledge. There could be one hell of a story in that.

  2. Re:No Reason to Pity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I see a trend here?

    - "Linux stole unix code!"
    - "Oh really? Which lines, exactly?"
    - "I'm not telling."

    - "Linux infringes 235 of our patents"
    - "That's likely, you patented the obvious. We'll see when IBM starts complaining about their patents you likely infringe upon. BTW, Which ones?"
    - "I'm not telling."

    - "OLPC steals our patented keyboard input method"
    - "Oh really? Which ones exactly?"
    - "I'm not telling."

    I'm reconsidering the real cruelty of the good ol' times where justice was administered by the king, and if you looked like you were making him lose time on useless technicalities you were going to be hanged.

  3. Re:No Reason to Pity by sortius_nod · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I haven't lived in Africa, but I have lived in under-developed nations a large portion of my life. To be honest, you hit the nail on the head, and it's not just limited to Africa. The problem with aid agencies is that they are just as corrupt, if not more, than the governments they are trying to protect the citizens from.

    Aid agencies need to be a lot stricter on their staff members and have stiffer penalties for any transgressions - you know, like a bit of gaol time in a dingy cell rather than painting them as a Martyr like the "Chad Children Thieves".