Software piracy complains from Microsoft help Russia quash political opposition

[thewayne]

"The New York Times reports that Russia selectively pursues software piracy complaints from Microsoft in order to suppress the opposition - confiscating computers for evidence, searching offices, and the like. Microsoft lawyers usually back the authorities in such cases, even when cases such as that of the environmentalist group Baikal Waves,

Comments

[silveradept]

Already happens, I'm guessing. The Media Cabals can't be the only people who are selectively choosing who to sue or investigate.

[thewayne]

The media cabals are definitely selective about their enforcement, witness the Warner(?) VP whose kids downloaded music from torrents to iPods. I wouldn't say that their selective enforcement is political -- yet. But what MS is doing in conjunction with the Russian gov't is definitely political.

[silveradept]

Hrm, true. Microsoft has so far been anticompetitive, but not political in their attacks. Although, if you believe the stories of backdoors being built into Windows for government snooping to be allowed, then it's a different story. Considering, too, that there are some regimes that are demanding insecure communications so they can spy on it, and some companies are complying, maybe that's where we should be looking for political compliance - in setting things up to be deliberately insecure.

[thewayne]

I think that ultimately as insecurity is purposely built in to products and becomes more known, you'll see the fictional darknet become a reality. And then it will be compromised and commercialized, and the cycle will repeat.