Hungary Officials Raid Microsoft Office 170
Steve writes "Hungarian government officers raided the offices of a Microsoft subsidiary this week, as part of a probe into the company's relationship with large software distributors. From the article: 'According to the statement, Microsoft used sales conditions and offered software distributors incentives - described as loyalty discounts - so they wouldn't offer clients anything but Microsoft Office products. Such behavior could lead to the exclusion of competitive products from the market and violate European Union rules, according to the authority known as the GVH.'"
Hungary, Hungary Hippos (Score:4, Funny)
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Charles Simonyi, it was nice knowing ye. (Score:3, Funny)
So much for Hungarian notation.
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Sure, it's no Google... But beggars can't be choosers!
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MS ran afoul of the lArm of the law... (Score:5, Funny)
The police pFinger at MS for performing an illegal operation, however MS contends that bAllegations == False.
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Since when does Linux prevent you from using FOSS software? Microsoft is absolutely free to release software for FOSS platforms, if they wanted to.
Also, do you seriously think that Microsoft is totally honest and upfront?
Everyone face down on the floor! (Score:2, Funny)
Sorry, couldn't resist..
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Re:Everyone face down on the floor! (Score:5, Insightful)
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On Wii news last night (Score:1)
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Now why use a search warrant instead of a subpoena in cases like this? Because subpoenas are just to slow when it comes to trying to clarify possibly illegal dealings between several conspiring partners. If one of the conspirators get their subpoena just a bit head of the other they likel
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I think they know that when an investigation starts... emails start disappearing. [wikipedia.org]
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You don't need to reference the White House for an example of deleted emails. Microsoft themselves have "lost" emails required by court subpoena.
I see you have a hard time believing it as well. But what recourse do we have when private and public officials lie under oath without any fear of consequences? Scooter Libby just proved that you can be convicted of it and still not go to jail. I'm sick and tired of people copping the Ronnie Raygun excuse, "I don't recall." Yeah, it's up to you to prove the fucker is lying.
Re:On Wii news last night (Score:5, Funny)
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First read as.. (Score:3, Funny)
First read as "Hungry Officials Raid Microsoft Office". Well, buy them a pizza.
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Re:First read as.. (Score:5, Funny)
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Funny, fist thought that popped into my head was "did they find nosh?"
-nB
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RAID (Score:2)
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What? (Score:3, Funny)
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First, Microsoft does not have a monopoly on OS or any other application. Unless Open Offeice and Linux are just figments of imagination.
Second, generally most companies, not just Microsoft, reward sales people for exclusive representation. Business as usual.
Re:What? (Score:4, Informative)
And this may be regular business for other companies, but although monopolies aren't illegal per se, they face specific legal restrictions as to their business practices. Such as these, which Microsoft is barred from doing.
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First, Microsoft does not have a monopoly on OS or any other application.
Do you know what percentage of consumer-level computers in Europe (or at least Hungary) are running Windows/MSOffice? You don't have to have 100% of the market to be a monopoly, just a very large percentage of it. Such a position gives you major leverage over the vendors because while they may want to sell other brands as well, they can't afford not to deal with you. That's monopoly power. When you combine that with the strongarm business tactics and product tying that Microsoft is known for, along wit
Microsoft raids Hungarian government offices... (Score:5, Funny)
In other news, Microsoft is merging with the RIAA and MPAA to reform the Dutch East India Company. Pirates beware!
Hungry officials? (Score:2)
Same Old Microsoft (Score:5, Interesting)
It's no different than their blood deals with SuSe and such. Tie everyone up with obligations to not use other products or make them pay royalties with Microsoft's threats of lawsuits for crap patents.
I bought my last Microsoft product years ago. No way in hell will I support a company like them.
And for those that talk about Microsoft's "innovation", I'd like to counter with their outright thefts of code (Stacker), their sabotaging other company's products when they detect them running in Windows (Word Perfect), their screwing customers so they could pretend that IE was a critical component of the OS (Win98), and all the other dirty tricks they constantly pull.
Doesn't Bill Gates have enough money? When will they actually produce a quality product instead of pushing junk on people? When will they let the market actually support innovation?
Yeah, yeah - I know I am no Microsoft fan boy and this may get labelled as flame bait or a troll, but seriously - this is just another example of Microsoft's dirty tricks and using their weight to screw everyone else - including their very own fan boys.
Re:Same Old Microsoft (Score:5, Informative)
Actually, no, not anymore. Carlos Slim [nwsource.com] has more, and that cannot stand.
Martyr (Score:2)
Now, I'm not going to come out and say that I will rape you, but, if I was going to pay you for this post, it would be in rape dollars.
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Until you change the system, it will continue to be garbage-in garbage-out.
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Let me put this a different w
MS is raided but we are the bad zealots. (Score:2)
Enough said frankly....
This sentence caught my eye.... (Score:5, Funny)
And if that didn't work, then they brought out the chairs.
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Clippy in handcuffs (Score:2)
Or that stupid search dog.
That's what I first imagined when I saw the headline.
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Enough with the MS bashing! (Score:3, Funny)
This isn't fair! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:This isn't fair! (Score:4, Funny)
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In Soviet Russia, Microsoft raids Hungarian officials!
Nope, looks like there were some left.
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In Soviet Russia, Microsoft raids Hungarian officials!
Nope, looks like there were some left.
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Just imagine a Beowulf Cluster of those...
Yes, but will it run...
Oh, wait...
Cheers!
Strat
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monopoly (Score:1)
So, MS, how does it feel? (Score:4, Insightful)
Think 'bout that next time your BSA guys believe a disgruntled ex-employee who just wants to give his ex-company a piece of mind as a revenge bit. Unlike some other companies, you'll brush this loss of productivity off. Other companies ain't so lucky, and a day of ZERO productivity (lacking any other offices abroad that could compensate) is quite hard on companies that have to meet tight deadlines.
(sorry for the venting, but it really, really felt good)
Re:So, MS, how does it feel? (Score:4, Insightful)
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It all depends on how hungary they are.
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What? Haven't you talked to Cuba? (Score:2)
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Would
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Well, I don't know about Microsoft, but Apple was willing to pull out France and the Netherlands completely rather than make iTunes compatible with other devices to comply with the law in those nations. So, as long as Hungary does not represent a significant portion of Microsoft profits, I think Microsoft would be all too willing to leave rather than comply.
As to the minimum si
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We are here to "check you" for "license violations"
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We recently had an unknown tipster (possibly the ex-employees who started a competing company using our code base that we are suing for copyright infringement, being the only ex-employees) turn our company into the BSA. We have four employees, 20 machines 10 of which run Linux or BSD, 2 run Novell, leaving 8 windows/macs with a grand total of 20 BSA member programs running on them (including Acroread, and MS Word Viewer), of which 10 were non-free and
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Unfortunately you can't bill them. If you read the licenses for those BSA-member products, they contain a clause saying you agree they can audit you at any time, with no advance warning, at your expense. Doesn't matter whether they find any violations or not, you foot the bill.
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Loyalty Discounts (Score:2)
Wait... (Score:1)
Hungary systems ? (Score:3, Funny)
Hungary officials obviously weren't pleased
And I can't resist to link to How to write unmaintainable code [thc.org], a must read if you didn't read it already
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Hungarian Notation (Score:5, Interesting)
No, Hungarian Notation was invented by Charles Simonyi when he worked at PARC. When he took a job at Microsoft and tried to introduce it there, it was completely misunderstood [joelonsoftware.com], and that bastardized version is what most untrained programmers came to know (no thanks to Microsoft's developer training). Since they seemingly couldn't even be bothered to pronounce his name, it became known as Hungarian Notation.
The real thing is incredibly useful, and I encourage all unfamiliar with it to read through Joel's article.
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It's called Market Development Funds (Score:2)
I guess the Hungarian office didn't do a good enough job of hiding the illegal with the legal.
Hunagary and open-source (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Hunagary and open-source (Score:4, Insightful)
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Pirating, discounts, and market share (Score:2)
Now, Europeans will actually pay for their product so they woul
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hand in the cookie jar (Score:2)
Microsoft Corporate Directive (Score:1)
From: sb@microsft.com
To: All staff
All staff are reminded that all agreements encouraging distributors to distribute Microsoft products are illegal and should not be offered to partners. Specifically the practices and strategies listed here: "Extra_Legal_Expenses_for_Beginners" should not be used, and staff are specifically not to offer inducements based on the scales listed here "Hospitality_and_Discounts", and absolutely should not use the codes listed here "Expense_Codes_666" when submitting their expens
My hovercraft is full of eels. (Score:4, Funny)
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Further, (Score:2)
That will teach MS for renting an office... (Score:2)
Badabing!
Comments from Budapest (Score:2, Informative)
Someone mentioned that open source software is widely used here. Unfortunately, it is not the case. Windows XP and MS Office
On the other hand, lots of pir
Raid at Microsoft Office (Score:2)
Naaah (Score:2)
They were just trying to protect the consumer from a confusing array of choices. Consumers are bewildered by all that computer stuff, and Microsoft just wants to help them.
All quite altruistic really. Nothing wrong at all. Nup.
Yes but... (Score:2)
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Re:Where is the US?? (Score:4, Interesting)
Seriously, I think the EU should start charging companies like Real, Sun, etc for the service they provide in helping them to succeed in business without really trying.
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1:Investigation
2:Seek warrants from a judge
3:The apropriate authorities goes to fetch evidence
4:Repeat 1-3 if necessary
5:Accusation
6:Due process in court
7:Verdict
8:Depending on 7, punishments might be applied.
I know step 1,2,4 and 6 are getting out of fashion some places, but they are still used
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Yeah. It was really fun to see Nokia in anti-MS EU lawsuit about Windows Media Player while they were licensing WMP technology at the same time. Maybe they were after for a lower price or something.
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MS bought them & ran them through the garbage disposal, then into the sewer. No problem when you can buy Congress, the Justice Department, and the Judiciary with your walking around change.
We have the best government money can buy. --Will Rogers
No doubt MS's pet lickspittles in Congress will be lobbying for an invasion of Hungary now. "...suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Con