A look at Microsoft's grass-roots campaign against anti-trust sanctions

Jul 02, 2001, 14:50 (47 Talkback[s])

[ Thanks to Pierre Fortin for this link. ]

From: MSFINMicrosoftcom [mailto:MSFINMicrosoft.com@commpartners.unitymail.net] 
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 9:21 PM
To: MSFINMicrosoftcom
Subject: A FINFLASH FROM THE FREEDOM TO INNOVATE NETWORK

A FINFLASH FROM THE FREEDOM TO INNOVATE NETWORK

June 29, 2001

Dear Freedom to Innovate Network Member:

When Microsoft established the Freedom to Innovate Network (FIN), a non-partisan grassroots coalition, you joined us to 
help advocate sound public policy that will further technological advancement and economic growth in this country.  
Hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens have visited the FIN website to stay informed, and have contacted public 
officials to defend the technology industry's freedom to innovate at http://www.freetoinnovate.com. We hope you will 
once again help educate public officials about the many contributions of the technology sector: providing new products 
at better prices, improving worker productivity and creating millions of high-paying jobs.

However, the threat to the freedom to innovate and the growth of the high-tech industry have never been more serious.  
Although the U.S. Court of Appeals recently issued its ruling on the Microsoft case, the danger of more regulation and 
litigation still exists. As reported in recent articles, a few rival companies are lobbying state attorneys general 
and legislators to encourage more legal and regulatory action against Microsoft.  These special interests are hoping 
once again to stop Microsoft's ability to deliver new and innovative products to consumers and businesses.  These 
cynical efforts by a few are intended only to protect and advantage large competitors at the expense of consumers 
and future product innovations.

Such threats of continued litigation and regulation jeopardize the freedom to innovate that has made the technology 
industry American's leading growth sector-and your voice has never been more important that it is right now!  It's 
important that your elected officials hear what you think about this issue and other public policy debates.  The 
Freedom to Innovate Network, and website at www.microsoft.com/freedomtoinnovate, give you the ability to stay informed 
about issues ranging from competition and intellectual property rights to privacy and taxation of the Internet-as well 
as the opportunity to contact your public officials to express your views.

If you would like to take action to protect the freedom to innovate today, you can use the Freedom to Innovate website 
at http://www.freetoinnovate.com to compose a letter, fax, or email to your elected officials.

Thank you again for your commitment to protect the Freedom to Innovate.  Your time and effort will help to shape the 
future of high tech.

Sincerely,

Kim Sanchez
Executive Director

P.S.  Please help us preserve the freedom to innovate by contacting your public officials TODAY!

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