This certainly qualifies as an interesting development. CBC is reporting that FACIL, a non-profit organization that promotes the adoption of free software in Quebec, is suing the provincial government for buying Microsoft software. More specifically, they are alleging that Quebec's provincial government refuses to allow competing bids (including bids from free software vendors) in preference of large players like Microsoft. Allow me to quote from the CBC article.
"Quebec's open-source software association is suing the provincial government, saying it is giving preferential treatment to Microsoft Corp. by buying the company's products rather than using free alternatives. The lawsuit by Facil was lodged with the Quebec Superior Court on July 15 and made public on Wednesday. In it, the group says the provincial government has refused to entertain competing bids from all software providers, opting instead to supply public-sector departments with products bought from proprietary vendors such as Microsoft and Oracle Corp."
You can read the entire article on the CBC Website. You will also want to read FACIL's press release on this suit.
What do you think? Is FACIL doing the right thing? I've said many times that it's very nearly a crime that our governments and schools cry poverty when they spend a veritable fortune on proprietary software and its trappings. Is FACIL's action what's needed to force government to play nice with our tax dollars?
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Quebec government being sued, for buying Microsoft!
Yes this is a good idea but it is going to take specific examples that show an expensive Microsoft solution was chosen instead of a FLOSS option to win. I would love to see some water tight case that would result in some real change.
Here is a case where the National Library of Canada was sued for its bias towards Microsoft.
Apparently there is an Agreement on Internal Trade and "Article 501 of the AIT provides that all Canadian suppliers must have equal access to procurement". This could give the FACIL amunition in court according to this judgement (but I am not a lawyer so I would not advise anyone to bet the farm on it) You would have to read the judgement and decide for yourself.
In another case it was detemined that a Linux system that operates in a Windows envrionment can be approved for purchase if it meets the technical needs. In other words a "Windows Environment" does not necessarily rule out Linux.
This could be interesting.
John