Information monopoly protesters armed with cream pies waited outside Bill Gates’ hotel as the Microsoft chairman arrived in the Philippines today for invite-only business meetings with the nation’s top politicians and technology conglomerates. But their target managed to avoid the demonstration, and the pickets had to be content with pummeling a man wearing a Gates mask.
About 20 members of the Philippines Greens group amassed outside a hotel in Makati City to denounce the Ramos government’s moves to protect intellectual property and to blast Microsoft’s dominance of the global software industry. The group, a local movement involved in environmental, political, and social issues, accused Gates of being “the top representative of these information monopolies.”
Philippine Greens said police have raided at least one school suspected of using pirated Microsoft software and tightened rules on reproduction of books and other software, putting them out of reach of many in this poor nation.
The group demanded that Gates submit to genuine compulsory licensing of software wherein local businesses are granted licenses to copy foreign-made software and sell them on the local market at lower prices based on reasonable profit margins.
In a 35-minute meeting with President Fidel Ramos, Gates reiterated Microsoft’s commitment to support the government’s bid to make the country a “knowledge center in Asia” and told Ramos that Microsoft would like to increase its corporate presence in the Philippines to accelerate development of the country’s information technology agenda, especially in the areas of education, communication, and electronic commerce.
Gates is expected to sign memoranda of understanding with the country’s top two conglomerates, Ayala Corp., major provider of information technology products and services, and the Lopez Group, a major Internet service provider and telco, before flying back to the US tonight.
