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.'"

Comments

If ever there was a perfect reason to switch..

[phaggood]

to open source, this is a prime example. Sheesh!

Re:If ever there was a perfect reason to switch..

[dnaumov]

to open source, this is a prime example. Sheesh!

How would switching to open source help when you are getting raided on the PRETENSE you are using pirated software? You could be using a lab full od Linux PCs and still get raided to ensure you are "in compliance".

Re:If ever there was a perfect reason to switch..

[Jeremy Erwin]

You have to buy something with a shiny hologram for it to be legit, even be it merely a Linux dist burnt onto a CD-R.

To be legit in Russia, you have to pay the correct bribes, and follow the correct political line. After all, holograms can be faked, but groveling cannot.

Re:If ever there was a perfect reason to switch..

[hoggoth]

Bullshit, bullshit, and more bullshit.

Every decision is made by a human being. I am tired of "corporations" getting a pass for immoral decisions because they are not people, but imaginary entities. Every corporation is run by people who sit behind a desk and decide what to do.

Every clerk who kills someone by denying them medical coverage is committing an immoral act.
The Microsoft exec who decided he could make his quarterly numbers by assisting in mafia-style protection and harassment cons against Russian companies is committing an immoral act.

Never forget that. Don't let it slide. When evil is done, someone made the decision to do it.

NGOs should use Free Software

[Anonymous Coward]

There isn't one reason for NGOs continue to use microsoft software, in fact there are lots of reasons to not use it!

Uh

[jav1231]

"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.

This is a tough one

[erroneus]

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.

Re:Troll story?

[DarkKnightRadick]

Only because Apple and Google don't have a history of being corrupt as a whole.

No need for that in the UK!

[Mathinker]

> 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).

Re:'cause it's all about money

[mcneely.mike]

I know..... but that's why i think people should stop and think about what they are doing once in a while, instead of using Windows because everyone uses Windows even though it is crap.

People rag on about how weird Richard Stallman is, but he has been correct about pretty much everything.

This shows us exactly why we should NEVER be using software that locks us in and can be used to harm us.