Russia rights groups get help from unlikely champion: Microsoft
Microsoft yesterday announced it will provide free software and legal assistance to struggling groups in Russia and 11 other countries.
Microsoft yesterday announced it will provide free software and legal assistance to struggling groups in Russia and 11 other countries.
Newscom
Moscow
Embattled Russian civil society activists were full of rare praise for Microsoft today, which has stepped in to protect nongovernmental groups (NGOs) and independent journalists who experience official harassment.
Under Russia's anti-piracy laws, authorities have repeatedly seized the computers of activists and journalists critical of the government to search for pirated Microsoft software – carting away years of archives, and, in at least one case, shutting down an organization all together.
After months of pressure from rights groups, who blamed the software giant for being complicit in Russia's use of anti-piracy laws to quell dissent, Microsoft yesterday announced it will provide free software and legal assistance to struggling groups in Russia and 11 other countries. The "unilateral license" will be immediately available, and applies to software already installed on the groups' computers – regardless of its origin.
"With the existence of this license, Microsoft is clearly articulating its position that we do not wish to engage in anti-piracy actions against NGOs and small, independent media in these 12 countries that are using Microsoft software for their business needs," Microsoft's deputy general counsel Nancy Anderson said in a statement. "We are taking specific steps to discourage any such actions in these jurisdictions."
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