When Think Tanks Attack

Australian blogger Tim Lambert has taken a closer look at some of the think tanks that have emerged as critics of open source software, which threatens Microsoft's position in the marketplace. "Why are all these think tanks so down on Open Source?" Lambert asks. "Well, the Small Business Survival Committee is concerned that using open source will expose small business to the risk of lawsuits. Citizens Against Government Waste is concerned that the Government might waste money on Open Source. Defenders of Property Rights is concerned that Open Source might be a threat to intellectual property rights. However, I was able to detect a common theme to all their criticism. They all seem to be funded by Microsoft." Lambert also notes that many of them, such as the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, have participated in previous campaigns to deny the dangers of tobacco and global warming, while receiving funding from the tobacco and fossil fuel industries.