Abolishing "Microsoft tax"

[gu...@karnatakaeducation.org.in]

For as long as we can remember, Microsoft has levied its 'MS Windows
tax' on us - when we buy a computer (hardware), whether we want it or
not, we also need to buy the software (MS Windows operating system).
Even if you tell the dealer that you do NOT want the operating system
(when you want to use GNU/Linux or any other free operating system), the
dealer will REFUSE to remove MS Windows and reduce the price charged for
MS Windows. This act of the vendor is called 'bundling' and is
recognised as a unethical (and illegal) anti-competition practice. The
power of the ICT world has been the 'unbundling' of hardware and
software, where we can use a hardware as a generic device on which we
can run the software applications we want to run

But in many countries this illegal practice of Microsoft and the
hardware companies (who perhaps do it since they get a commission on
"sale" of each license of MS Windows) is being addressed. See news on
https://fsf.org/blogs/community/a-victory-for-free-software-over-the-microsoft-tax

Excerpt - " The Italian Supreme Court (Corte di Cassazione) issued a
judgment1 that bans the "Microsoft tax," a commercial practice that
discourages users from converting their PCs to GNU/Linux or other free
operating systems by forcing them to pay for a Windows license with
their PCs. PC producers in Italy now cannot refuse to refund the price
of the license to purchasers that will not run Windows. .."

This kind of 'bundling' is also seen in many other products - mobile
phone + ISP, data card + ISP etc. All are inherently anti-competitive in
nature. In every case, the consumer must have an option to buy the
product without being forced to buy a second product


regards
Guru