Re: [school-discuss] MS Schools Agreement anti-competitive UK

[ian <ian.lynch2@ntlworld.com>]

On Wed, 2003-05-07 at 05:01, Leon Brooks wrote:
> On Wed, 7 May 2003 00:00, Paul Tietjens wrote:
> > Much like the Justice Department vs. Microsoft, the only thing
> > litigation suggesting that site licenses are shady business practices
> > will do, is obscure the real issues concerning Microsoft's way of
> > doing business and creating software.
> 
> I strongly disagree. I haven't yet faced another software supplier 
> pricing site licences based on machines running *competing* software.
> 
> Regardless of the issues from the schools' perspective, the licence 
> plans are squarely anti-competitive from any other supplier's point of 
> view.

And I have yet to find a non-computer industry person who doesn't agree
when its explained to them. The fact of the matter is that most users
don't understand software licensing never mind the more intricate
technical issues associated with MS business practice. MS rely on the
complexity of their system to optimise their profits. Whether this is
good bad or indifferent morally isn't the issue, I just don't think they
can complain to much if the facts are made clear and if they break the
law they are at minimum prevented from further breaking the law. My
motivation for posting this is that if you are in another country eg the
Australia case, it might help add weight to any case that you have if
you cite the UK OFT action.

Regards,

-- 
ian <ian.lynch2@ntlworld.com>