Microsoft Doing Ethically Questionable Things

Since my colleauge has so aptly tackled the important stuff, I'll feel free to talk about interesting developements on the recently-ignored Microsoft Doing Ethically Questionable Things front. First, here's the quick run-down: The Peruvian government is considering a bill requiring that all government computers and networks run Open Source software. Feeling threatened, Microsoft Peru started circulating a text denouncing OS as a concept and disseminating copious amounts of general disinformation. The attack was retorted by Peruvian Congressman David Villanueva Nuñez, who wrote a letter (English translation here) to Microsoft Peru justifying the use Open Source and logically demolishing the arguments presented by MS's campaign. A quick highlight from his letter -

It is also necessary to make it clear that the aim of the Bill we are discussing is not directly related to the amount of direct savings that can by made by using free software in state institutions. That is in any case a marginal aggregate value, but in no way is it the chief focus of the Bill. The basic principles which inspire the Bill are linked to the basic guarantees of a state of law, such as:

Free access to public information by the citizen.

Permanence of public data.

Security of the State and citizens.

To guarantee the free access of citizens to public information, it is indespensable that the encoding of data is not tied to a single provider. The use of standard and open formats gives a guarantee of this free access, if necessary through the creation of compatible free software.

There doesn't seem to be much room for interpretation here, it's the same old story - a profit-driven company spreading manipulative coercion in an effort to increase, well, profits. A little responsibility, guys?