[Upd-discuss] Russian teacher takes on Microsoft and other global software giants

[Zapopan Martin Muela-Meza]

Russian teacher takes on global software giants

By Christian Lowe Tue Feb 19, 12:01 PM ET

http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSL1989382020080219

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian schoolteacher who became a popular hero after
he was put on trial for using pirated Microsoft programs has launched a
campaign against the software giant's global domination.


During his trial, Russian media portrayed Alexander Ponosov as a hero in a
David-and-Goliath battle against big corporations. Russian President
Vladimir Putin and ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev spoke out in his
support.

Ponosov announced on Tuesday he is founding a lobby group whose aim is to
reduce Russia's dependence on software produced by firms like Microsoft
and instead promote so-called open-source software.

The junior schoolteacher, who lives in a remote village in the Perm region
in the Ural mountains, said the domination of big software companies was a
threat to national security.

"Our dependence on Western proprietary software is a risk for us. We are,
in effect, losing the independence of this country," Ponosov told a news
conference.

"To quote (Tsar) Alexander III, Russia has only two allies, its army and
its navy."

He said the answer was free software, where in many cases programs are
written by thousands of volunteers, the code that lies behind the software
is in the public domain and no one owns the intellectual rights.

Software produced by firms like Microsoft, Oracle Corp. and Apple is owned
by the companies, which generate huge revenues from selling the licenses.

"What would you buy for your child if you want them to grow up to be
bright -- a pretty toy car or a construction set?" said Ponosov.

"A pretty car that you cannot take apart is like proprietary software. The
construction set is free software."

Ponosov added: "I have not been using Microsoft software on my computer at
home for more than a year."

The teacher was fined half his monthly wage last year when a local court
found him guilty of installing unlicensed Microsoft Windows and Office
software on computers used by pupils at his school.

He said the software was already installed on the computers when they were
delivered by a sub-contractor, and that he did not know the licenses were
faked.

Ponosov said his organization, called the Russian Centre for Free
Technologies, would lobby the Russian parliament to adopt legislation
encouraging the use of free software.

Russia's government has already said it plans to switch schools to free
programs.

Free software packages, such as the popular Linux program, have become
more widespread over the past decade and taken market share away from
Microsoft. The software giant has said some of the packages violate its
patents.

(Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Mary Gabriel)

---
Zapopan Martín Muela-Meza
Doctoral Candidate
University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
<http://zapopanmuela.googlepages.com/cv_english >

"Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights."

--Albert Einstein (1949). "Why Socialism?" Monthly Review.
<http://www.monthlyreview.org/598einst.htm >
Source: Einstein, A. (2005). Ideas and opinions. London: A Condor Book; Souvenir Press (Educational and Academic), p. 157.


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