Microsoft suing Brazilian official [LWN.net]

Microsoft suing Brazilian official

Posted Jun 21, 2004 18:18 UTC (Mon) by piman (guest, #8957)
Parent article: Microsoft suing Brazilian official

"Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade."
- Bill Gates, Fortune Magazine, July 20th, 1998 (Courtesy of http://www.p2pnet.net/issue04/issues.html)

I'm not sure MS will have much ground for libel or slander, given what they've admitted.

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Microsoft suing Brazilian official

Posted Jun 21, 2004 20:41 UTC (Mon) by utidjian (guest, #444) [Link] (1 responses)

If Bill Gates actually said that (don't have Fortune Magazine but I will check the library)... then I doubt very much that this case will go anywhere. In fact... since what BG said amounts to the same thing MS may be inline for a countersuit.

-DU-...etc...

It's on c|net too.

Posted Jun 21, 2004 21:12 UTC (Mon) by frazier (guest, #3060) [Link]

Here's the same quote from c|net:

As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade.

Microsoft suing Brazilian official

Posted Jun 21, 2004 21:18 UTC (Mon) by jimbo (subscriber, #6689) [Link] (1 responses)

"Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade."
- Bill Gates, Fortune Magazine, July 20th, 1998 (Courtesy of http://www.p2pnet.net/issue04/issues.html)

Oops. Just when they were home and dry, some guy on the internet picks up something that moves Snr Amadeu's remarks towards the realms of fair comment. Life is so unfair to corporations of Microsoft's size...

BTW: Isn't the flight to the courtroom somewhat precipitate?

--
Jimbo

"sort of addicted"

Posted Jun 21, 2004 21:49 UTC (Mon) by Ross (guest, #4065) [Link]

Ok, to me, the "addicted" portion makes it clear that not only is the
comparison fair, Bill Gates had the same comparison in mind when making
that statement. If Microsoft is able to push this any further I would
be shocked.