[Karl]

Being Microsoft really isn't very fun any more. If it's not the EU breathing down your neck, it's antivirus companies moaning about how your billions of dollars in R&D make your products too secure. Oh, and once you quiet those, more 3rd parties start threatening to sue you for using their open standards, or even using your own. Well, today a new party has claimed a chunk of the Microsoft revenue pie - the Chilean "Mapuche Indian" tribe.

Apparently, the tribe didn't take too kindly to Microsoft releasing Windows in their native Mapuzugun language, claiming nobody asked their permission to use the language. In fact, the tribe were so angry at this development, that they sent a strongly-worded letter to Bill Gates, accusing the company of "intellectual piracy". The case is now being referred to the courts, and, if successful, might provide the tribe with funding to actually buy the computers these things run on.

Source: Reuters

[Adam Maras]

Niiiiiiiice.

[mdsharpe]

how ridiculous.

[Hiroshi-Old]

Wow... Someone is money hungry.

[Pocket PC]

wow...who else will sue Microsoft next?

[Stephen]

Hmm...

[NightBlade]

1. LMAO!
2. Why the heck is Microsoft relesaing Vista in Mapuza... wha?
3. How could a Chilean tribe have: electricity, computers, internet, lawyers? How do they know?
This is... both ridiculous and confusing

[cr1t1cal]

And knowing microsoft luck theyll lose the court case and be made to pay out millions. Its a stupid world we live in.

[Peteski]

i bet microsoft thought they were doing a nice thing
shame really

[cm_mc]

lol funny news.. id ot think is a "tribe" im form peru nest to chile and the only place where i know are tribes is in the amazon jungle wich chile doesnt have... so i dont think this is tribe.. it might be a community that use that lenguage...here in peru i know there is Windows xp in quechua lenguage i never seen it since i dont speak quechua but im sure people use it in very fas communities, so the fact that this Mapuzugun community is doing this is just stupid and sad....

[nightmare_david]

I'm convinced some greedy lawyer got a hold of the leader of the community or tribe (whatever you want to call it) and got this started to try and get some money out of Microsoft. Vista is coming out soon and will make Microsoft a nice chunk of cash to add to what they already have and there's some greedy people wanting a chunk of it. So they're thinking of anyway possible to sue Microsoft.

[dj_cityboy]

yeah man this is silly.......

but you know what will happen......i bet it wont even make it to court.....Microsoft will settle out of court for some crazy amount of money beyond our comprehension

and the tribe will then live happily ever after.....

**500th POST**

peas
cityboy

[Karl]

Quote

but you know what will happen......i bet it wont even make it to court.....Microsoft will settle out of court for some crazy amount of money beyond our comprehension

Apparently, the tribe (or community, if you like), have taken it to court, and are determined to take it to the Supreme Court. And, if needbe, even further, to a Court of Human Rights.

[peacho]

Karl, on Nov 25 2006, 05:34 PM, said:

Quote

but you know what will happen......i bet it wont even make it to court.....Microsoft will settle out of court for some crazy amount of money beyond our comprehension

Apparently, the tribe (or community, if you like), have taken it to court, and are determined to take it to the Supreme Court. And, if needbe, even further, to a Court of Human Rights.

Wow, that's just crazy! That level of "concern" is simply not needed.

Very strange.

 I had this off-topic comment to say:

Congrats on the 500th post dj. I think it rubbed off on me, as the first part [of my post] sounds just like your style!