[Am-info] Re: Who supports settlement, who got money from MS?

[John Poltorak]

On Thu, Dec 13, 2001 at 01:35:41PM -0800, Will Occam wrote:
> James Love wrote, on Mon, 10 Dec, 2001:
> > Does anyone have time to go through these comments and find out which
> > groups that support the settlement have received MS funding?
> >
> > http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/webdatapages1/DisplayMISC.asp
> 
> Whilst we are all playing this game, could we also obtain a list of which
> companies fund the Consumer Project on Technology?
> 
> After all, turnabout is fair play.
> 
> Similarly, a list of contributors to the good Senator Orrin Hatch's ProComp
> organization would surely be in order at this point?
> 
> Oh. Actually, I appear to have found that information by myself:
> 
> "ProComp funded by MS enemies
> It's not surprising that ProComp is on the government's side. The group,
> which was formed earlier this year, is funded by the anti-Microsoft troika
> of Netscape Communications Corp. (Nasdaq:NSCP), Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq:ORCL)
> and Sun Microsystems Inc. (Nasdaq:SUNW), as well as a host of other
> organizations and software companies -- including the Software Publishers
> Association and database technology developer Sybase Inc.


Now whilst these companies can fairly be labeled as MS enemies, you can 
hardly describe them as competitors for Microsoft's core business. 
Microsoft, haveing established its 100% monopoly in pre-loaded OSs and 
applications has illegally leveraged that monopoly power into other 
markets such as servers, databases, and browsers. These companies are 
scared that their business will be taken away by the same illegal means 
that Stac and DR-DOS suddenly lost their market. It has already happened 
with Netscape. Microsoft has substantial investment in the press. Ever 
heard of *MS*-NBC? The Wall Street Journal, and the UK's Financial Times 
act as mouthpieces for Microsoft. Even on the BBC, product announcements 
appear as news items. 

The Microsoft slush fund runs far and wide and no one seems to be able to 
counter it. This is not only bad for competition, but also bad for civil 
liberties. We are heading for the equivalent of a totalitarian state 
riddled with corruption and too many people benefiting from this huge 
Microsoft gravy train that generates huge rewards for companies involved 
in things like viruses and Internet worms. Microsoft products have been 
almost exclusively involved in propagating viruses around the Internet for 
the last few years which have been estimated to have cost around $50Bn and 
yet no one says anything.

> "Our goal it to increase awareness on a daily basis of what's happening in
> the trial," says ProComp Executive Director Mitchell S. "Mike" Pettit, a
> seasoned lobbyist who served as technical advisor to Sen. Bob Dole during
> his presidential campaign."
> http://www.actonline.org/press_room/news/111098%20inter@ctiveweek%20trial.ht
> ml
> 
> It just goes to show you; it doesn't matter which side you are on, there are
> people who are pushing money around to turn it to their own ends.
> Where does your paycheck come from, Mr. Love?
> Have you ever asked yourself that?
> Are you being manipulated by others who would use you and your organization
> to further their own ends?
> 
> I feel that only you have the answer to that question.

Here's a question I have to ask.

Judge Jackson's remedy for Microsoft's wrong doing was the breakup of the 
company. They were found guilty fair and square both originally and on 
appeal. A year after the end of the trial the remedy for Microsoft's 
*proven* wrong doing was reviewed, and the DOJ walked away from the case.

In that time the tenure of the DOJ changed hands.

Did Microsoft's politcal investment show a good return?
 
> Bill.


-- 
John