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Quebec Govt Sued For Ignoring Free Software
Mathieu Lutfy writes "The CBC is reporting that 'Quebec's open-source software association is suing the provincial government, saying it is giving preferential treatment to Microsoft Corp. by buying the company's products rather than using free alternatives. ... Government buyers are using an exception in provincial law that allows them to buy directly from a proprietary vendor when there are no options available, but Facil said that loophole is being abused and goes against other legal requirements to buy locally.' The group also has a press release in English."
Each license bought allows for tech support from Microsoft. Is there any such tech support from open source developers? Usually not.
When you have tax dollars freely available, cutting costs matter little when expedience for bureaucrats is much more important.
Frivolous lawsuits are much less common in Canada. In the US, if you spill hot coffee on your lap you can sue for millions. In Canada, you can sue for the cost of a new cup of coffee.