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Sharing the stage at a panel at this year's World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, the two men seemed like old friends. Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Microsoft's cofounder Bill Gates smiled at each other and cordially agreed on a number of issues. But as they departed from the meeting, the truth was that on the subject of software the two are at opposite extremes.

While Gates built his empire based on proprietary software whose source code is Microsoft's best kept secret, da Silva became an ardent advocate of free software based on open source code that users can study and modify. The result is that in recent years Brazil has become one of the world's most prominent battlegrounds of the Microsoft Windows versus Linux war.

It all began when da Silva ordered all ministries and federal agencies to consider free software as an alternative to more costly proprietary systems. Last year alone 15 federal organizations adopted Linux and saved about US $11.8 million in licensing fees they would have paid to use proprietary systems. The government estimates further switchovers could save up to $84 million.

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As for Microsoft, it has begun to mobilize its lobbying power. After da Silva's administration announced the PC Conectado program late last year, Bill Gates figured that since both men were attending the Davos meeting last January, they could perhaps have a one-on-one conversation on the matter. But although the two met for the panel, da Silva turned down Gates's request for a private meeting.

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hahahahaaha

Gates must be spitting *nails*

I'm not suggesting that Gates, Cuddy and Cochrane don't do some "good works" through foundations and other works. I am just suggesting that there is another side to these stories that people need to become more aware of when they are trying to help the majority of the worlds population.

I sent a letter to the Prime Minister in support of the Make Poverty History campaign which tried to make these connections in more detail.

Further copyright policy suggestions on how to Make Poverty History.

http://www.digital-copyright.ca/node/view/960

It is interesting that the article didn't talk about the BSA and their inflated claims about the number of illegal copies of "software manufacturing" software. The most effective way to stop illegal copying of software is to switch away from "software manufacturing" to production, development and funding models for software that do not involve counting copies or charging royalties. Linux and other Free/Libre and Open Source Software is not only cheaper, but also eradicates so-called "software theft".

Funny how the BSA or Canada's self-called "Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft" never talk about the fact that it is their members that promote the economic conditions that cause this so-called "theft", and that they are the largest international obsticle to solving that problem.

“Make it legal: don't litigate, use creative licensing” campaign

http://www.flora.ca/makelegal200403.shtml

[ 01 July 2005: Message edited by: Russell McOrmond ]