[Am-info] U.S. Army scolds Gates

[Gene Gaines]

Army to Gates: Halt the free software

  Last modified: March 10, 2004, 4:00 AM PST
  By Ina Fried
  Staff Writer, CNET News.com
          

Microsoft has been mailing free copies of its pricey Office
productivity software to government employees, but CNET News.com
has learned that at least two federal agencies are warning
recipients to return the gifts or risk violating federal ethics
policies.

Since the launch of Office 2003 last year, Microsoft has given
out tens of thousands of free copies of its flagship software,
which retails for about $500, to workers at its biggest
customers. The giveaway was expanded to government workers this
year, but ethics offices at the Department of the Interior and
Department of Defense have said the offers constitute
unauthorized gifts and must be returned.

The Department of the Army went a step further, calling on
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates to stop sending the software to
Army personnel.

"We ask that you cease immediately the mailing of free software,
and other types of gifts, to the Department of the Army
personnel," Deputy General Counsel Matt Reres said in a Feb. 19
letter seen by CNET News.com. "Your offer of free software
places our employees and soldiers in jeopardy of unknowingly
committing a violation of the ethics rules and regulations to
which they have taken an oath to uphold."

The issue comes up as many governments are looking at
open-source alternatives for Office and the Windows operating
system. The British government has been evaluating a switch to
the Linux OS, while open-source software is also being eyed in
Korea, China, India and even at some local agencies in the
United States.

Microsoft's giveaway also comes as the company faces ongoing
oversight by the Justice Department as part of its settlement of
antitrust allegations.
...

Story at:
http://news.com.com/2100-1012_3-5171976.html?tag=st_pop

There is more to this story, and I expect this matter is
not going away soon -Gene Gaines