[CLUE-Talk] Legal breaking of the MS monopoly WAS: Re: [CLUE-Tech] HP laptop

[Ed Hill]

On Thu, 2002-01-17 at 09:31, Grant Johnson wrote:
> I agree with voting with our dollars.  However there was a time not so 
> long ago when that was not an option.  All PC's came with the charge for 
> a MS OS, even if they did not come with the OS.  I am saying to be 
> vigilant, and make sure that we continue to have the oportunity to vote 
> with our dollars.  I have 9 PC's at home.  Only one runs a MS OS. 
>  Because of licensing terms with the manufacturers, 7 of them have paid 
> for MS licenses.  Because of the license terms, only the one legally 
> could have the MS OS on it (I bought the rest used, and those licenses 
> are non-transferable)
> 
> I have voted with my dollars.  I was talking to Gateway.  I spec'ed out 
> a laptop.  It was very nice, rather top of the line.  I then asked for 
> NO OS.  They declined.  I then asked for Linux.  They again declined.  I 
> told the sales person that I was not willing to pay for an expensive 
> piece of software I would not be using.  I still have my old laptop.  I 
> tried with IBM as well.  I could get it without windows, but the price 
> was the same, and MS still got the money.
> 
> I am all for voting with my dollars.  This means I am for the following 
> remedy:
> 1)  All API's must be open, including middleware.
> 2)  All file formats must be open, including the internals of the 
> database files (recovery)
> 3)  All unsupported software must have all source code released, at 
> least in print form.
> 4)  Exclusive contracts with vendors are null, void, and illegal.
> 5)  Copies of published works are not violation of copyright if the work 
> is out of print.  (if I can't buy it, how is copying it hurting the 
> author's livelyhood, which is what copyright is designed to protect)
> 
> Apply this across the board.  Software.  Music.  Movies.  Books.  Parts 
> suppliers for automobiles.


You bet!

My new Thinkpad came with a shrink-wrap license that basically said I
must return the *entire* machine (not just the unwanted software) if I
didn't submit to the license for the MS software.  Thats baloney.  And
most new machines are shipping with these licenses, AFAIK...

To end this sort of bullying crap, we need to:

  1) overhaul much of the existing patent & trademark law (I'd 
     love to see within my lifetime),

  and/or

  2) fight it "from the other end" with consumer rights and 
     antitrust law.


The items you mention above (open standards/formats/etc) are nearly an
exact match for the recommendations that I submitted:

  http://www.eh3.com/files/fed_reg_letter.pdf

Its cool and encouraging to see that we're not alone with these
thoughts.  Lets hope others catch on...   ;-)

Ed


-- 
Edward H. Hill III, PhD
Post-Doctoral Researcher   |  Email:       ed at eh3.com, ehill at mines.edu
Division of ESE            |  URL:         http://www.eh3.com
Colorado School of Mines   |  Phone:       303-273-3483
Golden, CO  80401          |  Fax:         303-273-3311
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