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“The group, Baikal Environmental Wave, was organizing protests against Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin’s decision to reopen a paper factory that had polluted nearby Lake Baikal, a natural wonder that by some estimates holds 20 percent of the world’s fresh water,” Levy reports. “Instead, the group fell victim to one of the authorities’ newest tactics for quelling dissent: confiscating computers under the pretext of searching for pirated Microsoft software.”
“Security officials say the inquiries reflect their concern about software piracy, which is rampant in Russia,” Levy reports. “Yet they rarely if ever carry out raids against advocacy groups or news organizations that back the government.”
Levy reports, “As the ploy grows common, the authorities are receiving key assistance from an unexpected partner: Microsoft itself. In politically tinged inquiries across Russia, lawyers retained by Microsoft have staunchly backed the police.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Please read: Mac users should not buy Microsoft software or hardware.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Wandering Joe” for the heads up.]
In Russia software hack you!
Sad that Micro$oft have to resort to sucking dick. Having said that, I can’t say I’m surprised – anything to prop up their increasingly paper-thin hegemony.
=:~)
Please don’t give the Obama czars any more ideas!
All your computer are ours!
This is the biggest human-rights scandal in the computer industry since IBM was shown to be helping Nazi Germany.
Once again, Microsoft is shown to be a disgusting, evil organization. I would strongly encourage everyone in Russia who has been victimized by Microsoft’s cooperation with the corrupt Russian government to join together in a U.S.-based class action lawsuit against the corporation.
@MDN,
Don’t steal Microsoft software either
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I wonder how hard it would be to use Macs instead of PCs.
If they were to use a Mac instead it might be harder for the Gestapo to use this excuse and it would be doubtful that Apple would want to be associated with this type of action.
@ Mac Daddy,
Gestapo is Fascist. Far right wing.
You were looking for KGB. Communist. Far left wing.
Thank me later.
When in doubt, use Mac or Linux!
Hmm… Microsoft teaming up with police to curb software piracy.. Let’s not buy Microsoft products
MDN is full of douchebags.
Apple does far worse things but you’ll never hear about it on this site.
I think Fred Mertz is really a Mac article reading botnet.
@ An Optimist,
“This is the biggest human-rights scandal in the computer industry since IBM was shown to be helping Nazi Germany.”
Anyone can write a book with those kind of allegations. I guess you could say IBM furthered the abuse of dissidents by selling their personal computer business to Lenovo. Or, we all do by purchasing Apple’s products.
There’s always more to the story.
“I think Fred Mertz is really a Mac article reading botnet.”
He surely can’t be human. No mere mortal could possess his super-human abilities. He’s darn near a Mac demi-god!
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@Big Als MBP
Same difference!
Responding to Big Al
Fascists are actually left wing. Both fascists and communists are left wing. The press lately has spread this bogus view. Both are strong central governments. The perspective was generated during WW2 to support Russia while we fought against Germany.
Strong central governments always devalue life and individual liberty. Look at China, Russia, Turkey, and Germany during WW2. Some govts that feature strong religious leanings like Iran can fall into the same loss of freedoms. Remember our founders view that our freedoms come from God not from Govt.
Macs to me are a way I can work better in my own way.
It’s nice to see MDN going to bat for environmentalists… when it suits them.
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@DudeMac: when in russia use pen and paper or even better -chalkboard
@Jim, don’t be a tool. Software piracy is a thin cover story, to suppress dissidents. Noone supports piracy, but the story is nothing about actual piracy, and the fact that Microsoft is Russia’s stooge is embarassing.
@Sick of Exaggerators
You are clearly ignorant of history… I’ll rephrase that: you are ignorant!
=:~)
Cubert,
If you were married to Ethel, you’d be surfing the Net 24/7, too.
“I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy….I was able to get a sense of his soul.” —George W. Bush, after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, June 16, 2001.
I don’t understand, don’t we normally hate the New York Times around here? After all, the former President said he was trustworthy about Mr. Putin who is now Prime Minister and as a former KGB man is very “hands on” in terms of “internal security”.
Or has that changed because the story is about Microsoft?
Sounds more likely that the Russian gov’t is extorting assistance from Microsoft. If M$ doesn’t help, the gov’t will probably block M$ from selling their software in Russia.
Right Wing? Left Wing? Are you guys serious?
There is only the Powerful and Rich and the rest of us serfs.
Dont hide from the truth, (like most North Americans) using this Communist or Fascist crap.
There has only ever been the Rich and the Powerful – Socialism and Capitalism, Communism and Free Market (theres a joke), exist only in University classes and some old books.
The USA is the exemplar of the great Divide. The Rich and the Poor.
Putin is the Russian Bush/Obama/Clinton.
They are ALL the frickin’ same.
Please explain as carefully as you can the difference between “right wing” totalitarian states and “left wing” totalitarian states.
Thank you.
In Practice:
Communism is a one party system that owns all property and controls the economy, they spend a lot of money on a large military, they are state atheists, they plan the economy and do not use supply and demand, they pay all workers the same salary, and watches over the population to make no one becomes a capitalist, they focus more on heavy industry than light industry, believe in collective of farms for the benefit of the population they are usually dictatorships and are state capitalist, they do welfare and are self sufficient, they are sometimes very imperial masking it as “liberation”.
fascism is a one party system that owns all property and controls the economy, they spend a lot of money on a large military, they are extremely religious, they use supply and demand, pay people different salaries, they watch over the population for foreigners, socialists and capitalists, they focus on light industry, state racism, welfare and self sufficiency and are imperialists.
In other words . . . THEY’RE BOTH LEFT WING. Huge government, no personal freedom. There’s no such thing as a “right wing” totalitarian state.