Brazil: Free Software’s Biggest and Best Friend

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has surprised many of his conservative critics by adopting some of the free-market policies that he once opposed. But foreign business leaders – especially those at Microsoft – have been less pleased with da Silva's support for free software. Under the President's orders, all government agencies must gradually shift from Microsoft's expensive operating systems to "open source" systems similar to Linux. The government's new PC Conectado initiative, which will allow millions of low-income Brazilians to purchase affordable personal computers, aims to expand computer literacy – a prerequisite for any aspiring information economy. While critics say da Silva is ignoring the laws of supply and demand, the government maintains that enforcing the use of high-quality free operating systems is crucial for cutting costs, expanding access to technology, and reducing piracy. "We're not going to spend taxpayers' money on a program so that Microsoft can further consolidate its monopoly," says one official. - YaleGlobal