Software Lobby Warns Microsoft Too Close to BBCThe Free Software Foundation (FSF), a Boston-based open source software lobby group, is planning to petition British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to highlight the role of software giant Microsoft Corp. in the British Broadcasting Corporation's digital media strategy; this move comes as concern slowly mounts amongst software developers, rival technology firms and broadcasters about the MS's role in the development of digital media services at the BBC, which is funded by a universal license fee in Great Britain and is required to provide "public service" programs and services. The iPlayer, BBC's on-demand Internet TV software launched only July 27, 2007, came under great criticism for being Windows XP only, though the BBC promises that the player will eventually be available on other platforms including Linux and Apple's OSX.In a statement by the FSF, the lobby alleges that "the BBC should have chosen free and open standards that work well and are available today. They should have chosen off-the-shelf software that costs nothing and that you have complete control over. Instead, they have given Microsoft complete control. BBC programming is in the hands of a U.S.-based corporation, and the BBC has given up the fight for open access." Read full story...
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