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Microsoft Complaints Help Russian Gov't Pursue Political Opposition Groups
asaz989 writes "The New York Times reports that Russia selectively pursues software piracy complaints from Microsoft in order to suppress the opposition — confiscating computers for evidence, searching offices, and the like. Microsoft lawyers usually back the authorities in such cases, even when cases such as that of the environmentalist group Baikal Waves, which went out of its way to buy licenses to prevent police harassment and nevertheless had its offices raided, and its computers confiscated. Microsoft participated in this legal process. Published alongside this story, under the same byline, is a related piece on the collusion of Microsoft lawyers with corrupt Russian police in extorting money from the targets of software piracy investigations. In a responding press release, the company states, 'Microsoft antipiracy efforts are designed to honor both [antipiracy concerns and human rights], but we are open to feedback on what we can do to improve in that regard.'"
to open source, this is a prime example. Sheesh!
You know, while I know it's popular opinion to hate on Microsoft on slashdot, doesn't it seem to me that it's the Russian government abusing their own laws in order to screw the opposition, rather than Microsoft sitting there plotting how to hurt people? If it wasn't this, it would be something else.
Just sayin'..
It is because you loaded the page when the story came out.
Bring back Clippy! You'll notice a sharp drop in piracy immediately.
There's a spot in User Info for World of Warcraft account names? Really?
Third world countries tend to be run by juntas, warlords, oligarchs and strongmen. They're like having the Mafia, except as your official government.
If you want to get anything done in these countries, you make nice with them. Either that, or you have to overthrow them.
This is why the CIA is routinely in bed with horrible people -- these horrible people run the horrible countries where they need to get things done.
Western businesses have taken a massive beating in Russia because everything is corrupt (Russia, as a country with minimal rule of law and an average IQ of 96, qualifies as third-world). They've started to play ball because short of that invasion, it's the only option.
In this case, while Microsoft is doing evil, it's also a necessary evil if they want to do business in Russia.
Futurist Traditionalism
There isn't one reason for NGOs continue to use microsoft software, in fact there are lots of reasons to not use it!
"but we are open to feedback on what we can do to improve in that regard.'"
Of course, such feedback might make you a target but hey...
Microsoft is inherently evil. Like kicking puppies.
In Soviet Russia, Microsoft Helps you!
Fuck those violent, hateful, misogynist apes.
Fixed that for ya
Looks like a case of Russian authorities and Microsoft learning from each other about how to more efficiently violate human rights and get away with it. Considering how adept BOTH are at this within their own areas of expertise, it really isn't any real shocker. A real match made in hell,if you ask me.
Only way it could be worse would be if Microsoft was doing the same with authorities in the PRC.
Oh, wait,....they are.
Usually finds its way into the USA.
The trick could be to have a software license issue appear as a "debtor" issue to a local US court.
Stop using MS products and you can escape the phone home license, summons for the user to appear in court, warrant for arrest cycle.
The idea to show a US trade group that pirated software is a serious issue and suppress the opposition is rather creative.
But like with Nokia Siemens, the truth can surface.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
M$ is a capitalist corporation, it aims to maximize profit.
What would you expect they do in Russia?
Hey, hmm, wait a minute... Russia is capitalist now, isn't it?
Microsoft executives in Moscow and at the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Wash., asserted that they did not initiate the inquiries and that they took part in them only because they were required to do so under Russian law. After The New York Times presented its reporting to senior Microsoft officials, the company responded that it planned to tighten its oversight of its legal affairs in Russia. Human rights organizations in Russia have been pressing Microsoft to do so for months. The Moscow Helsinki Group sent a letter to Microsoft this year saying that the company was complicit in “the persecution of civil society activists.”
"Copyright as censorship" is not a new idea. In fact, it's what copyright was originally meant to be when it was first devised, and now it's simply returning to its roots. With the far-reaching scope of intellectual "property" today, pretty much anyone can be accused of piracy, and oppressive governments can just pick who they want to target and point their finger.
Companies like Microsoft are just being opportunists (read: "free-market capitalists") -- they know that if they are copyright holders, they have the power to negotiate with governments who are inclined to use copyright as censorship. Who knows what rewards Microsoft will get from the Russian government? Perhaps this is how that official Russian Linux distro was discontinued.
And don't think the Russian government is the only one to do this sort of thing. Hardly! They are guilty of not being subtle about it, but the US government is just as bad. There's even a "Department of Homeland Security" conducting raids in the name of copyright, so yes I'd say we have a serious problem.
On one hand, Microsoft has a right to complain about copyright infringement. Even I will not deny them that. On the other, Microsoft is probably aware of the selective nature of how Russian officials investigate and act on those claims. Should Microsoft, imagining for a moment that they have any sort of conscience, contribute to the oppression of human rights by issuing complaints?
As another pointed out, running Linux and free software on every machine will not quite end the problem. After all, Microsoft has long since campaigned against "naked PCs" and that they are likely to be software pirates unless they were sold with OEM Windows and OEM Office. Their complaints may well be in the form of "they are running PCs but we show no indication that they have licensed any software from us!" That would be reason enough, I suspect, to raid a location or two.
So, I have decided that Microsoft is a willing and complicit tool in this case. They can't not be aware of how their complaints are being used given their selective enforcement nature. And as far as Russian government officials are concerned, we are generally aware of the levels of government corruption within ex-Soviet countries. (I'll grant that the impression of government corruption in Russia is rather "cartoonish" in our understanding which is essentially belief without first-hand knowledge or evidence.) Microsoft should be more careful about issuing complaints. They aren't making examples of software pirates, in these cases, they are just being used as a weapon to "legitimately" attack political opponents.
Replace "corrupt police" with "disgruntled employee", "sneaky competitor","greedy bastard" , its just in Russia sneaky competitor and government
are one and the same.
If everyone stopped using Microsoft products and BUYING Microsoft products, Micorsoft would disappear quickly and could bribe (sorry... Help) no officials and the officials would stop listening to them.
The only problem with that is that it seems the majority of the world is STUPID and is still using Microsoft products and giving Microsoft their money.
STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES!
THINK ABOUT IT!
soylentnews.org Go there to enjoy the people!
> My money's on the $5 wrench. [xkcd.com]
Refusal (and therefore, I suppose, inability) to surrender your encryption keys in the UK is a crime. I suppose trying to use some system with deniability might be of use, but given the spirit of that law, I don't see it as an impossibility that the court would merely presume (based on other "evidence") that you have used the deniability features of whatever encryption system is installed, and jail you for not surrendering the (presumed) keys (even if you haven't used those features).
First of all there's no big difference between the US, Russia and China (i should know as i live in an ex communist country). They all are one or another form of totalitarianism, regardless of their names or proclaimed ideologies. Society is driven by profits and power and will stop at nothing to achieve this. In the US the law is the same. Give a sleeping bag to a homeless man and expect to get free medical insurance at Guantanamo, no lawyer, no trial, no release date, should the homeless man be on a no fly list. The world needs a desperate reform and we need to get up from our asses and educate the masses toward a scientific approach to society. And the so called freedom to choose which government will rip you off in the next 4 years while you mindlessly switch to the next Puma sneakers and t-shirt is not really freedom, is it? If you can't point US on a map, just look for a BIG oil leak, it's easier. In a more educated society, entities such as governments and companies, which are illegitimate by nature and serve no other purpose but to divide slaves into smaller, manageable groups, shouldn't exist. They set us back dramatically. Viva Zeitgeist!
I love the way American ignorance hits you on the face here on slashdot. The Russians are not Muslims, and they are fighting Islamic militants in Chechnya from years. It might surprise you (and I'm guessing most slashdotters) to know that not all brown people are Islamic. Indians, for instance, are Hindus and Sri Lankans are Buddhist. Pakistanis, Arabs, Afghans and North Africans are generally Muslims though.
Your representation of the story is a tad tainted. They aren't "Microsoft lawyers" but private lawyers who claimed an association with Microsoft. There is a difference you know. I can claim I'm head of the company and then... what? You write a story that I've done some terrible thing?
I know it's still popular to hate on MS for a variety of reasons but purposely misleading people by posting a synopsis that's not what the story says? That's just as bad as what you're proposing they did.
MS said the lawyers had no legal authority to act on their behalf so what are you doing here?
The /. title says that Microsoft is making the complaints and this is not true. These are government complaints. Assuming Microsoft intends to do business in Russia legally and assuming they intend to defend their intellectual property rights there they have to cooperate with the government when presented with a complaint.
Nothing in the article that I saw indicated that Microsoft is initiating or exacerbating any of this.
In Russia today there is no discernible, due process based rule of law. The government makes sure that everyone is a criminal for some reason or another. The result is that the government can molest you at anytime on nearly any pretext. Putin is insecure about sharing any power that would diminish his dictatorship. MSFT is a Patsy in this matter.
Don't know why you're modded as flamebait - the question is reasonable. In fact, the most dedicated linux zealots kick the idea around pretty frequently. To answer your question, to the best of my ability, new computers come with Windows preinstalled. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry - errr, excuse me - Dmitri, Andreyev, and Vladimir sees Windows the first time he ever sees a computer. The learning curve is gentle, and every damn fool in sight knows how to help you do simple tasks. Linux has a steeper learning curve (drastically flattened in recent years, but still a bit steeper than Windows) and NO ONE in sight knows how to help you figure it out. Once again, I point to Windows exclusivity agreements with OEM's, and say "EEEE-VILE!!" We really need (we, the entire world) Open Source to be taught in our schools. Ban those damnable Windows boxes! Gates REALLY knew what he was doing when he created his monopoly!
"Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
The NY Times link is somewhat broken. It links to the single page version, which requires (free) member access. The printable version gets around that and doesn't require membership.
Intellectual Property infringes you?
No wait, that's the way it works everywhere else too.
Why would you pay to use the products of an entity that is blackmailing you? Nobody ever won a war with their customers. Moreover, the message I get from this is that you can steal to your heart's content so long as you are not involved in political activism.
I am astonished by so many people focusing in MS, maybe it is not a favorite here but the main lesson to be learnt from the story is, from my POV:
IF YOU ARE GOING TO FIGHT THE POWERS THAT ARE, DON'T BE STUPID.
Stay inside the law, do not pirate software, do not make anything that could be/look like rape... Think before acting that your acts will be reviewed in the worst ligth possible, and that you'll be punished by things nobody else is punished.
Even acting this way don't keep you out of trouble, but at least your enemies won't have it so easy when they come after you.
If you can't stand acting this way or are not intelligent enough to get it, my advice is to forget about it and become one with the flock.
Why can't
Folks, to be fair, you need to acknowledge that ALL public or commercial institutions in Russia are using genuine Windows (if they aren't using Linux). The situation with pirated Windows has drastically changed over the last few years. With fines and chances of legal pursuits considerably high, the use of pirated Windows is a major no-no for any organization.
However, that push started as early as in 2006, with the MS vs. Ponosov case:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponosov's_case
And that's when people understood, that if a low-paid school teacher could face criminal charges for the use of pirated MS products in his school, that could get repeated everywhere.
It's really a shame that Clifford Levy didn't even mention Aleksandr Ponosov in his article. Yes, that person didn't voice anti-Governmental claims. But it's that case, when the MS started its push of a big corporation against an usual person.
I'm consider buying a notebook in Russia, and it will come with the pre-installed legal Windows system. Guess, why?
You mean *first* world: Itally was governed by the Mafia for decades. Their president (Agliotti) was the chief of the Mafia.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
Folks, to be fair, you need to acknowledge that ALL public or commercial institutions in Russia are using genuine Windows (if they aren't using Linux). The situation with pirated Windows has drastically changed over the last few years. With chances of legal pursuits considerably high, the use of pirated Windows is a major no-no for any organization. Period. However, that push started as early as in 2006, with the MS vs. Ponosov case: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponosov's_case And that's when people understood, that if a low-paid school teacher could face criminal charges for the use of pirated MS products in his school, that could get repeated everywhere. Period. It's really a shame that Clifford Levy didn't even mention Aleksandr Ponosov in his article. Yes, that person didn't voice anti-Governmental claims. But it's that case, when the MS started its push of the big corporation against an usual person. Period. By the way, I am buying a notebook in Russia, and it will come with the pre-installed legal Windows system. There is no chance to find a notebook with pre-installed Linux. I believe there's a sort of a mafia deal between the MS, hardware producers and shops owners. And what do you think about it?
Nothing in the article that I saw indicated that Microsoft is initiating or exacerbating any of this.
"In southwestern Russia, the Interior Ministry declared in an official document that its investigation of a human rights advocate for software piracy was begun ''based on an application'' from a lawyer for Microsoft."
After spending three days trying to teach someone whose Windows XP machine barfed to use Windows 7 and Windows Live Mail all I can say is "Bullshit!" to the learning curve argument. I wager at the end of the day she (and I) would have been further ahead to have thrown Kubuntu on their and used Thunderbird for the mail client.
The best part about Windows Live Mail was when she tried to open some PowerPoint files, and it refused to open them, and I had to go into the registry to alter the class settings to turn "Show" into "Open". Yeah, that's a really easy learning curve there.
The argument may have made some sense even five or six years ago, but the better Linux distros have had hardware detects that are nearly as good as Windows. I haven't had Debian or Ubuntu barf on any of the workstation or server machines I work with in about three years.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
Don't be fooled by the article. The Baikal environmentalists are confronting not the interests of the government, but interests of the enterprise owner, a person in the top 100 Forbes list. Read Russians' comments, and see who are they blaming. http://tinyurl.com/25658g4 Overall, dudes, try to speak with the people in Russia, rather than reading about them in your national press. You'll see that real Russians are all but not their depictions in the New York Times articles.
A middle-aged woman I know bought her first laptop a month ago. She's a former biochemist and mathematician. The laptop has Windows 7 Pro installed along with a bunch of scamware and nannyware. Now since this is her first ever computer, she's a complete virgin-innocent when it comes to the most basic operating system tasks. (For example, she had to be shown how to save a file, where that file went to and how to move it somewhere else afterwards!)
What she isn't such a noob at though, is the bullshit factor. Like when programs constantly interrupt her movie viewing to nag about 'upgrading' or when she has to give her consent to do something that might cause damage, in some nebulous and undefined way, to her laptop, mental state, social status and possibly, physical health.
"What the fuck is this shit??", she said when Windows wouldn't let her rename a photo without her explicit permission, for the gajillionth time. This woman knows idiocy and sell when she sees it. I'm currently installing openSUSE and teaching her how to use that.
I've heard of many US school systems being forced to pay for expensive audits without any proof of wrong doing and that the Microsoft license agreement they and everyone else has to accept to use Windows allows this. So it does not matter how careful you are to make sure you are legal, Microsoft and a pal( the government ) can use this and be 100% legal since you agreed to it when you said OK to the license.
As for the US schools, Microsoft only stopped doing that once a few of them threw away all their Microsoft software and went with GNU/Linux and open source software and then started spreading the word how much money they were saving doing that. Word was spreading, or was it fear, of what Microsoft was doing so lots of education systems were getting interested in GNU/Linux until Microsoft agreed to stop the audits.
LoB
"Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
and from there use the search field to search for the story. Something like Microsoft and Russia should work.
LoB
"Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
Get back to me when innocent bystanders aren't being "accidentally" swept up in the process.
Even people who use Linux are getting raided, stripped of property, and jailed.
I don't know if the Russian authorities have been bamboozled into believing that only MS software is legal to have on a PC, but given the happy side effect of squashing political dissent I doubt they care.
No, individuals must be held accountable for their amoral actions. Period. In China, they routinely arrest, jail and sometimes execute their criminal CEOs. In America, the Corporate Fascist State, they won't even arrest anyone at Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), Merck (all have paid extremely high, although not legitimately high enough criminal penalties, or out-of-court settlements). Nor Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, AIG, GE, JPMorgan Chase.....
There isn't any reason for the existence of NGOs, period. All they are about is the privatization of public resources on behalf of the multinationals. Hedge funds, private equity leveraged buyouts, public-private partnership structures, securitizations and securitized financial instruments (CDOs, CDSes, naked swaps, CMOs, CBOs, CLOs, CPDOs, etc., etc., etc.) are all the same financial scam. Time to end them all.
Companies claim outrageous piracy rates with little no evidence to back it up.
Government agrees with them so they can monitor, prosecute, or seize the property of a majority of the population.
For those targeted by selective enforcement who are actually guilty, they shouldn't be absolved of what they did do because of the corrupt nature of selective enforcement. (that is, "oh, but it was selective enforcement" shouldn't be used in response as a get-out-jail-free card, and that I see them as separate issues.)
I listen to both RIAA and non-RIAA stuff if I like the music, tangential business/politics nonwithstanding.
Look, a mom and pop operation can get away with selling "rosebuds" in a glass cylinder, or a "glass pen" that's clearly a crack pipe at your corner store. An international corporation like Microsoft has to adhere to the legal fabric and political construct of the market they find themselves in. In this environment it's perfectly acceptible that the cooperate with censoring web search results in China or even turning in dissident web searchers. That is the law of the land after all, and obedience to the law is the highest moral choice, right?
Rebels like Google might get away with abandoning China search entirely to preserve their moral high ground, but Microsoft is pragmatic about the expectation of its shareholders to deliver continuing growth in these markets despite the cost to human rights. They will win in the end because people in the first world (you and me) don't really care about how badly the people in the second and third worlds are oppressed as long as they keep making our iPods affordable. Microsoft will win because you and I could not care less about the plight of our fellow humans. The fact that we don't care about this is actually the core of Microsoft's market strategy.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
Y'know, even in this article about how Microsoft was enabling the oppression of dissidents in Russia I was expecting some Microsoft Fanboi to step up and defend the use of Microsoft software. Congratulations for being the most convincing of such. Obviously there is no practice so despicable that someone will not step up to defend it.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
There's even a "Department of Homeland Security" conducting raids in the name of copyright, so yes I'd say we have a serious problem.
Not trying to troll here, but I'm always more inclined to believe such statements with example(s) to back it up.
Yeah, I can agree with that. When you cut them fine ethics get a little slippery. It's fine to stand on the hill and bear judgement on the ethical questions that come before you. It's a different thing to decide in a knife fight whether the guy who's trying to kill you was better off dead or unconscious. Obviously according to the rules of fighting unconcious is best but if you survey your family's opinion, dead will do.
Help stamp out iliturcy.