Re[2]: [Am-info] STATES SEEK MICROSOFT WINDOWS SOURCE CODE

[Gene Gaines]

Geoffrey,

I believe you have hit on a vital issue.

I want to be able to interoperate, or at least communicate with
Microsoft file formats (which have become de facto standards as
a result of illegal monopoly behavior by Microsoft).

You state it well:

> I don't want windows source code.  And I don't want Office to be ported
> to Linux.  I believe the answer is for Microsoft to publish their file 
> formats. 

Gene Gaines
gene.gaines@gainesgroup.com

On Thursday, February 14, 2002, 8:45:22 PM, Geoffrey wrote:

> I don't want windows source code.  And I don't want Office to be ported 
> to Linux.  I believe the answer is for Microsoft to publish their file 
> formats.  I've just posted the following to another list.  What do you 
> folks think?

> "I've come to the conclusion that we need to get the word out. I've 
> heard that the hold out states on the Microsoft trial want Microsoft to 
> port Office to Linux.  I don't know about you, but I don't want Office 
> taking my Linux box down.  I think the proper solution is for Microsoft 
> to publish their file formats.  What do you folks think?  I want to get 
> a petition going.  I've dead serious about this.

> Anyone know how you would go about this, from the legal standpoint?  I 
> can throw up a site for this purpose on no time, but how do I get it to 
> the right people, so that it can be 'heard?'"


> Erick Andrews wrote:
>> On Thu, 14 Feb 2002 16:29:38 -0500, Fred A. Miller wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>>>Hash: SHA1
>>>
>>>STATES SEEK MICROSOFT WINDOWS SOURCE CODE
>>>(Source: InfoWorld.com) The state attorneys general still
>>>pursuing the antitrust case against Microsoft have asked a
>>>federal judge to force the company to show them the inner
>>>workings of its flagship product.
>>>
>>>http://www.idg.net/go.cgi?id=640472
>>>
>>>
>> 
>> This is interesting.  The article reports:
>> 
>> ---------------------------------
>> "This is the equivalent of demanding of Coke that they turn
>> over the formula," said Andrew Gavil, a professor of antitrust
>> law at Howard University. "This is exactly what Microsoft
>> wanted to avoid."
>> 
>> In Tuesday's motion, the states also asked the judge to appoint 
>> a technical expert to help provide "impartial opinions on the
>> complex, highly technical issues raised by the parties ...."
>> ---------------------------------
>> 
>> Is there a precedent for this?  Only thing that quickly comes
>> to mind might be the "O-Rings" designed by Morton Thiokol.
>> 
>> 




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