[Tech] Microsoft a favore della 'libera' (sic) concorrenza - e contro Cina, Corea e Giappone

Nei giorni scorsi avevo riportato la notizia di una iniziativa comune fra Giappone, Cina e Corea del Sud volta a sviluppare congiuntamente un nuovo sistema operativo "sicuro" derivato quasi certamente da Linux (la Cina già da tempo sta sviluppando una propria versione di Linux per la pubblica amministrazione) da usare, inizialmente nel settore pubblico, in alternativa a Microsoft Windows.



Uno dei motivi della decisione era l'intrinseca insicurezza di Windows, oltre naturalmente al fatto che l'OS Microsoft è un sistema operativo "proprietario" e quindi non liberamente modificabile e ridistribuibile come Linux.



Ora Microsoft commenta l'iniziativa (ri)scoprendo l'importanza della libera concorrenza in un libero mercato:

Japan, the world's second-largest economy, made a proposal at an Asian economic summit this week to build an inexpensive and trustworthy open-source operating system that would be based on a system such as Linux, which can be copied and modified freely.



"We'd like to see the market decide who the winners are in the software industry," said Tom Robertson, Microsoft's Tokyo-based director for government affairs in Asia.

Microsoft prefers competition between software applications to be determined in the free markets rather than by government agencies. "Governments should not be in the position to decide who the winners are," Robertson said.

Notare la frase che ho messo in grassetto: parole sante, se corrispondessero al vero, ma vediamo un esempio concreto di come Microsoft concepisce realmente la competizione fra software e fra aziende.



Da Yahoo! Finance di venerdì scorso:

Be Inc. and Microsoft Corp. today announced that the parties have reached a mutually acceptable mediated settlement of an antitrust lawsuit filed by Be Inc. in February 2002, which is currently pending in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland in Baltimore.

Be will receive a payment from Microsoft, after attorney's fees, in the amount of $23.250.000 (U.S.) to end further litigation, and Microsoft admits no wrongdoing.

All other terms of the settlement will remain confidential. Both parties are satisfied with the agreement and believe that it is fair and reasonable. This is the second private antitrust lawsuit Microsoft has settled this year.

Be is currently in the process of completing its dissolution pursuant to the plan approved by Be's stockholders in November 2001. In accordance with that plan and upon completion of its dissolution, Be's net cash will be distributed to shareholders of record as of March 15, 2002, after payment of any taxes, officers' and directors' compensation, and other expenses, and the satisfaction of any and all of Be's remaining liabilities.

Per meglio inquadrare la questione, riporto di seguito parte del testo dell'azione legale contro Microsoft intentata da Be Incorporated (qui il testo completo, in formato .PDF):

Complaint and Jury demand - Case No. 02837MEJ



Complaint



Be Incorporated (Be) brings this action to recover damages under the antitrust laws of the United States and the laws of California for the destruction of its business as a direct result of the illegal and anticompetitive practices of Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft).

Microsoft has long held and willfully maintained monopoly power in the worldwide market for Intel-compatible personal computer (PC) operating systems.

Be developed and marketed its technically acclaimed operating system, BeOS, in an effort to enter that market.



(...)



Sensing taht BeOS posed a significant threat to its illegal monopoly, Microsoft smothered Be by using its dominant market position to prevent computer manufacturers from installing Be's technically superior operating system.

Insomma, ora BeOS e la società che lo aveva prodotto sono andati in malora, e Microsoft con la modica (per lei) spesa di meno di 24 milioni di dollari (e, clausola dell'accordo con Be, senza neanche dover essere costretta ad ammettere le pratiche monopolistiche e anticompetitive) può tornare a dormire sonni tranquilli.



Sfortunatamente per Microsoft il problema rappresentato da Cina, Giappone e Corea non può essere risolto alla stessa maniera: ecco quindi che la casa di Redmond si scopre paladina della "libera e leale concorrenza fra software".



Ma perfavore...