A GROUP of US college students has proved that the "let's get Bill Gates" culture is not just confined to certain corridors of the Justice Department.
In a congressional forum last week, the students gave a rather one-sided battering to the increasingly demonised founder and chief executive of Microsoft.
Mr Jason Fizell, a major in history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the software giant "has tightened the noose around the university's neck" by changing the licensing terms of a contract up for renewal this month. "This time around Microsoft has upped the ante in their quest to dominate the provision of software on the campus."
The world's largest software company is awaiting resumption of a landmark antitrust trial brought by the US Justice Department and 19 state attorneys-general. The title of the forum - held by members of the House Congressional Progressive Caucus - made it clear where this discussion, at least, was heading: "Microsoft on trial: how a monopoly hurts consumers".
Mr Dennis Kucinich, a House Democrat, said a growing number of students and professors were being offered software products at cheap prices, in return for exclusivity for Microsoft's software.
Mr Fizell said the contract at Wisconsin-Madison, which provides software for on-campus computer labs for students and reduced-price software for faculties "virtually `locks in' students, faculty and staff to use Microsoft products - for they are indeed cheaper and more convenient under this cozy relationship".
An e-mail from Microsoft presented to the panel explained how a contract which has let the University of Wisconsin get by with a small number of licences on a large number of machines will change in April so that licences will have to be bought for every machine using the software package.
Microsoft might not have wanted to attend such a hostile event, but was not invited anyway. However, Mr Tom Pilla, a spokesman, said the company's contracts with academic institutions were not exclusive. "We have significant deals with them but they continue to rely on other software vendors too."
He also said the company was helping universities and students cope with the cost of technology. "Corel and Apple have deals with universities . . . this is not specific to Microsoft or computers."
