LinuxQuestions.org - Historic victory of the "Associazione per il Software Libero"!

http://www.softwarelibero.it/abbiamo_vinto_en

Quote:

The Italian Ministry of Work withdraws the call for tenders appealed by the Associazione per il Software Libero (Free Software Association)

The story

February 21, 2006 the Italian Ministry of Work and Social Politics - Department of Technological Innovation published in the Official Journal of the Italian Republic n. 43 a call for tenders for the supply of an amount of Euro 4.539.184,55 of Microsoft software licenses.

Only resellers qualified by Microsoft as "Large Account Resellers" were allowed to participate in this call for tenders. Only 11 Italian companies fall into this category.

According to Italian law, before buying software Public Administrations have to compare all available options, including free software.

In this case such evaluation was omitted and free competition principles were violated: just resellers of one company's products were allowed to compete.

For this reason Associazione per il Software Libero decided to appeal this call for tenders before the court (Regional Administrative Tribunal of Lazio-Rome) filing case n. 3838/2006.