Reboot - The Campaign For A Better Deal for Computer Users

Introduction

Latest campaign news

• The OFT enquiries line is no longer answering, but has a recorded message saying it is not available, and the OFT are also not answering their other phone numbers 1pm 12^th Jan 2007.
• One of the top people at the OFT have written to Reboot and said "I would like to make clear that the OFT takes all complaints and queries it receives from the public very seriously.", this is untrue.
• CE4 director Christopher Mayock seems to spend more time not at work than at work, this a big waste of tax payers money, a complaint is being considered. His secretary Bernadette the main representative of CE4 does not have much knowledge of Microsoft, and Nonye Opara does not know is at the top of Intel.
• Reboot has made available a Press Release about the government reading the Reboot Movement‘s mail.
• The OFT have produced a new booklet called "Involving Third Parties in Competition Act investigations, incorporating guidance on the submission of complaints" OFT451, this defines a formal complaint, this used to be called an official complaint, and was obviously made up on the spot. The booklet starts with investigation ending at page 4 and is full of bureaucratic long winded gooble-gook about how to produce a complaint report "needed" to achieve formal complainant status. This report would need the help of a lawyer to draw it up. To help the OFT have provided links on their website to competition lawyers who will do 2 hours work for free. The OFT is just trying to waste our time. The CEO of OFT Dr Fingleton has worked for NERA a company that helped Microsoft in the DoJ court case (for details see here).
• The OFT have removed all the email and telephone numbers in the contacts section of their website, as part of a re-organisation. The old contact details are here. The mainswitch board on 020-7211-8000 gives out OFT telephone numbers when asked.
• The OFT‘s email alerts system is spamming people and has spammed comp.sys.acorn.advocacy. So the OFT has removed their Subscription page and now handles people joining by hand, emails sent webeditor@oft.gov.uk with "email alerts"in the subject line are added to the lists.
• Richard Stallman has defined 4 software freedoms, Reboot can add another "The freedom to choice the software you use."
• I have had a telephone call with Vincent Smith of OFT, it was pointed out to me that the European Union has tried to get Microsoft to document protocols, in reply I said, "The reality is, abolishing the monopoly, rather than trying to manage it, is the correct approach." Vincent Smith, Director of Competition Enforcement replied, "In an ideal world you may well be right."
• Unisys have announced that they stop making their own hardware architecture mainframes and will move to Intel based server manufacturing.
• The OFT have "banned" me from talking to them by phone indefinitely. They have said that I can send evidence in by post, so if you get any AOL/ISP free CD-ROMs you do not want, send them to Office of Fair Trading, Fleetbank House, 2-6 Salisbury Square, London, EC4Y 8JX. Write on them that they are evidence of Microsofts anti-competitive practise, by selling IE below cost (destoryer pricing) as IE has above 50% (a dominant position) in the browser market, or your own words or just the word EVIDENCE. You can also say that it is an official complaint about Microsoft.
• The Directorate General for Competition in the European Commission has emailed saying that they are not stopping the OFT investigating Microsoft anti-competitive practises and monopoly. Microsoft are allow a consumer credit licence by the OFT.
• After Reboot complained, the OFT has update it‘s website so that CE4 the section responsible for the Microsofts monopoly now has Christopher Mayock email address rather Becket M^cGrath‘ who left last year (present date is Aug 2006). The OFT has hired XMLondon, they have produced an online questionnaire about how the website should be redeveloped, XMLondon describe the main thing they do is "motivating and changing end user behaviour". Reboot has completed the questionaire asking for the website to say that the OFT has had complaints about Microsoft. The OFT no longer denies it has had complaints about Microsoft, but says that it does not need to reveal the answer thanks to an exception under the Freedom of Information Act. As they claim, revealing any complaints about any companies could hamper the investigation, because in this case MS (and third parties) would see them coming. Annelise Jespersen who heads the webteam said she could not put it on the website because it might damage Microsoft, thats all the more reason to put it on.
• The OFT website has no dates for future roadshows and business open days perhaps because they do not want to meet computer owners and explain their lack of action on the Microsoft monopoly.
• As Reboot and the computer world are increasing public questioning of the OFT‘s lack of action, the OFT has this month (July 2006) advertised for a Director of Communications and Senior Press Officer, rather than use spin to cover the problem they should support computer owners. Non-executive board member Christine Farnish has resigned from the OFT, her details have been removed overly swiftly from the website and the announcement is short.
• The OFT say they have not had a complaint, so the Reboot Movement sent them an A1 sized postcard with a complaint on the bright yellow side. The postcard was sent as a parcel because of the size, an A0 postcard is legal to send as the restrictions are longest side 1.5m.
• Norfolk Trading Standards are complaining to the OFT on my behalf.
• Reboot offers any OFT whistle blowers anonymity and discretion, contact me with your information about what is really stopping the OFT from starting an investigation into the Microsoft monopoly.
• The OFT have axed the printed version of Fairtrading Magazine, their journal, so now it is only available online as a PDF on their website for the first time in over 10 years in publication. Three copies of the magazine are produced each year, March, July, November, and subscription was free. Issue 43 March 2006 is the last one distributed on paper. I have now ordered 137 OFT leaflets for free. Update On Wednesday 5^th July 2006, DHL delivered a box of leaflets of all variates, ranging from credit card size adverts to a 96 page A4 booklets, but the 10 copies of leaflet OFT427 "How to make a complaint" (about a monopoly) was missing. This leaflet is no longer in stock or printed, and the OFT have no plans to replace it. The leaflet is still on the OFT website, but does not seem to be linked in, even the OFT could not find it when asked by phone, and thought it might not be available. Google gives the location of the leaflet for downloading. The fax number for ordering leaflets, 0845 60 70 321, does not work and has a BT style vioce saying "This number does not reply.", a direct number is 0208-867-3225. The fax number may have been a special number for the OFT at EC Group who distribute government leaflets. The leaflet OFT357 has gold writing and whole pages of gold.
• The OFT admit 195 ‘contacts‘ about Microsoft since March 2000,
  after the Reboot Movement used the Freedom of Information Act (FoI) to get the information. The OFT has not supplied any details of the complaints saying that under Part 9 of the Enterprise Act 2002 it is exempt from the FoI. As positive spin, they say that they have asked Microsoft to improve one of it's EULA in Oct 1998, this shows the OFT can take action. However Reboot feel EULA should be abolished completely. The copy of the judgement against MS about the EULA cannot be printed, because of the OFT's legal threats against us for campaigning against the Wintel monopoly.
• Save Choice in computing bounty
• June 1^st 2006 Reboot Movement started an advertising campaign in Linux Format (issue 81) with a new advert every month, in the classified section.
• Only a few PPC apples remain in highstreet shops
• Fake Acorn
• Completed Campaign - CRT Monitor Sizes
• How to join
• High Court OFT v Mills (complete)
• The OFT drop School Agreement licences investigation in August 2005 for no reason.

Main Campaign

Anti Monopoly Campaign - Microsoft and Intel Subsection

Introduction

Before computers, office automation used tabulators, made by IBM, as they had a monopoly in the tabulator market. IBM used anti-competitive practices such as selling/leasing mainframes for half their cost (i.e. selling below cost) to gain a monopoly in the mainframe market world wide. When it became apparent that there was going to be a PC market, IBM decide to make a machine for that market. Business PC buyers bought the IBM PC because it was made by IBM. IBM outsourced the OS to Microsoft (MS) and the processor to Intel giving these companies monopolies. This was not done by a proper tendering process, non USA companies never had a chance.

From this position Microsoft and Intel have used anti-competitive practices to gain and keep and even strengthen their monopolies. Over time the other computer companies have gone bust or left the PC market. Microsoft market share is above 85%, and Intel is even bigger. Anti-competitive practices are about using a monopoly position to destroy the competition. In other words good products loose to bad ones. Obviously this is bad for the consumer, because of the lack of choice and overpricing that the monopoly can do once there is no longer any effective competition left. Also innovation will suffer as the monopolies are not being pushed.

Anti-competitive practices are illegal in many countries. However the US government should not be relied upon to end these monopolies as it is in their national interest that they remain. As this means nearly all the jobs and profit from this large industry sector go to the USA. Some people think a small company will beat MS (the worlds biggest company) and Intel, this is just not going to happen. As any company which threatens their future will be offered a buyout and told that if they refuse they will be wiped out. MS will throw large amounts of money (from their monopoly profits/margins) to do just this. While Intel has a track record of using legal action to tie-up small companies. They do not need to win the case, all they need is for it to hold back the opposing company long enough for it to launch it's own version. Myth number 2 is that Microsoft got its position from advertising. Before Windows 95 MS advertising was almost non-existent in the UK, do you know what their slogan is, and as for Intel a lot of people do not even know who they are.

The computer market naturally forms into monopolies and as the USA is the biggest computer market in the world they monopolise the industry. Tens of thousands of computer jobs have been lost in the UK because of this. Reboot wants the present monopolies ended (and would want this even if no anti-competitive practices had been done) and a system put in place to stop future ones.

How many times do millions of people have to be ripped off in the UK and the rest of the world before someone will do something?

If you have MS Windows or an Intel processor etc., you have paid directly or indirectly too much. For more details read my letters to organisations who should have done something about it. You can also email me. The second letter to the OFT details a few of Microsofts anti-competitive practices.

UK government

UK non-governmental organisations

Other action taken

How can I help

Links to other webpages (including the AMSN webring)

After Apple?