This is from Infobeat News - Morning Edition, 11/24/97

*** Microsoft grants software amnesty to Philippines

Philippines President Fidel Ramos met with Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates Friday and collected a certificate legalizing much of his government's pirated computer software. After a ceremony to observe the signing of agreements tightening relations between the software giant and the Philippines, Gates gave Ramos a license for free software that was the equivalent of a partial declaration of amnesty. The license allows the Philippine government to use older Microsoft products, such as the DOS operating system, that previously were being used illegally by many government agencies. See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=6086523-f4f

I think it is really cool that a private company can actually negotiate somewhat as an equal with a government. One implication of this is that Microsoft is becoming a more powerful corporation - which is not necessarily a good thing. But the other thing it might imply is that the power of government is slipping - which is definitely a good thing. ______________________________________________________________________ Jon Galt e-mail: jongalt@pinn.net website: http://www.pinn.net/~jongalt/ PGP public key available on my website. Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. ______________________________________________________________________