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Software giants 'a threat'
20/02/2008 07:24 - (SA)
Moscow - A Russian schoolteacher who
became a popular hero after he was put on trial for using
pirated Microsoft programs has launched a campaign against the
software giant's global domination.
During his trial, Russian media portrayed Alexander Ponosov
as a hero in a David-and-Goliath battle against big
corporations. Russian President Vladimir Putin and ex-Soviet
leader Mikhail Gorbachev spoke out in his support.
Ponosov announced on Tuesday he is founding a lobby group
whose aim is to reduce Russia's dependence on software produced
by firms like Microsoft and instead promote so-called
open-source software.
The junior schoolteacher, who lives in a remote village in
the Perm region in the Ural mountains, said the domination of
big software companies was a threat to national security.
"Our dependence on Western proprietary software is a risk
for us. We are, in effect, losing the independence of this
country," Ponosov told a news conference.
"To quote (Tsar) Alexander III, Russia has only two allies,
its army and its navy."
He said the answer was open-source software, where in many
cases programs are written by thousands of volunteers, the
code that lies behind the software is in the public domain and
no one owns the intellectual rights.
Software produced by firms like Microsoft, Oracle Corp and
Apple is owned by the companies, which generate huge revenues
from selling the licences.
"What would you buy for your child if you want them to grow
up to be bright - a pretty toy car or a construction set?" said
Ponosov.
"A pretty car that you cannot take apart is like proprietary
software. The construction set is open-source software."
Ponosov added: "I have not been using Microsoft software on
my computer at home for more than a year."
The teacher was fined half his monthly wage last year when a
local court found him guilty of installing unlicensed Microsoft
Windows and Office software on computers used by pupils at his
school.
He said the software was already installed on the computers
when they were delivered by a sub-contractor, and that he did
not know the licences were faked.
Ponosov said his organisation, called the Russian Centre for
Free Technologies, would lobby the Russian parliament to adopt
legislation encouraging the use of open-source software.
Russia's government has already said it plans to switch
schools to open-source programs.
Open-source software packages, such as the popular Linux
program, have become more widespread over the past decade and
taken market share away from Microsoft. The software giant has
said some of the packages violate its patents.
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