Quebec free software group suing over government's no-bid Microsoft contracts

Posted by Cory Doctorow, August 29, 2008 12:32 AM | permalink

Kurt sez, "FACIL, the Quebecois Free Software advocacy group, is suing the Quebec provincial government, accusing them of abusing a legal loophole to essentially create 'no-bid' government software contracts for Microsoft. For a province that once considered independence from Canada, never mind independence from indentured servitude to US corporations, this is sublimely ironic."

Government buyers are using an exception in provincial law that allows them to buy directly from a proprietary vendor when there are no options available, but Facil said that loophole is being abused and goes against other legal requirements to buy locally.
"It shouldn't be the rule," Facil president Mathieu Lutfy told CBC News. "It goes against the public markets policy of the government, which requires them to stimulate competition and look for local alternatives. It's really an absurdity."

Quebec government sued for buying Microsoft software, FACIL contests government practices in the Superior Court

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Discussion

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#1 posted by SSKomik , August 29, 2008 3:35 AM

Please, please keep in mind that the sovereigntist party isn't the one in power right now. These are the Liberals, who bend our province over for every passing company or legislation with a bit of cash on hand.

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#2 posted by bryanarchy , August 29, 2008 5:35 AM

This is amazing! Good for them!

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#3 posted by francoisotis , August 29, 2008 6:12 AM

Who is Kurt?

I think this person is greatly misunderstanding the issue. Why mix software contract biding with independance of Quebec. I think he should do his class on both sujects.

Stupidity always lurking in good source of
information like Boing Boing.

when you don't master, at least a bit a subject: You shut up.

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#4 posted by Baldhead , August 29, 2008 8:41 AM

What software, exactly? I don't think there's a whole lot out there, if anything, that Microsoft is the only guys making.

The photo uses Windows, which means little as it is probably a stock photo. And while Windows is only made by Microsoft, it isn't the only OS out there. I'll let others argue about if it's the best or not and, most importantly, the most user- friendly.

needs more info.

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#5 posted by grz , August 29, 2008 8:59 AM

The goal is to have a homogeneous solution to facilitate the maintenance, exchanges, support. So if i started with microsoft, i would prefer to stay with microsoft as most as possible. Taking a pieces of software from many contractor / open source, make everything more complex.

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#6 posted by IamInnocent , August 29, 2008 2:09 PM

Could you re-write that piece of news ?

I live in Montreal and I can't even start to find any sense in it. Maybe leave the question of independance out to begin with...

Jean