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It was reported back in March that Microsoft was being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice over claims of bribery in foreign countries. Back then it was claimed that Microsoft’s partners had allegedly bribed government officials in foreign countries to win software contracts, it was also reportedly being probed over relationships with certain resellers and consultants in China, Italy and Romania. The claims were thought to have been made by an ex-Microsoft employee based in China.The Wall Street Journal reports today that Microsoft’s business partners based in Pakistan and Russia are now being investigated over these very claims.

The report says that an anonymous tipster told Microsoft that its partners in Russia were allegedly offering kickbacks to executives of a state-owned company for securing a deal. It further claims that a tipster in Pakistan alleged that Microsoft had authorized a consulting firm to pay for a government official’s trip to Egypt with his wife, just to win a tender. Microsoft hasn’t released any comment on the investigation, but has said that it takes all allegations seriously. Both the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice have not yet commented on the progress of this investigation.

Microsoft Alleged Bribery Probe Extends To Russia And Pakistan original content from Ubergizmo.

Apparently Apple isn’t the only company thinking the US Department of Justice’s recently imposed remedies against it were “draconian.” US publishers HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Penguin and others have also ganged up on the DOJ with a legal brief opposing the punitive restrictions. In it, they say the watchdog is “attempting to impose a specific business model on the publishing industry,” despite assertions it wouldn’t play that role. If you’ll recall, Apple was recently found guilty of price-fixing following charges filed last year. Now, the Justice Department is trying to force Apple to end its current agreements with the publishers and let rival e-book retailers like Amazon link to their own online stores.

Apple earlier condemned the decision, saying it was “wildly out of proportion to any… wrongdoing or potential harm.” The publishers added that it effectively punishes them by prohibiting the so-called agency model, which lets them set their own prices for e-books and other media. A similar affair was settled rather more amicably in Europe, meanwhile, when the same band of publishers agreed to allow other retailers to sell e-books cheaper than Apple does, if they so choose. Evidently, they feel the DOJ overstepped its bounds in the US and seem intent to back Apple to the bitter end.

Filed under: Apple

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Source: AFP