Forward From: Declan McCullagh [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 

Sent: Friday, June 16, 2000 3:04 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: FC: Antitrust espionage against Microsoft: Cash for free-market
trash
Importance: High


*******
Photos from investigation:
http://www.mccullagh.org/theme/act-investigation.html
*******

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37022,00.html

    MS Espionage: Cash for Trash
    by Declan McCullagh ([log in to unmask])

    6:00 p.m. Jun. 15, 2000 PDT
    WASHINGTON -- When Jonathan Zuck joined a trade association to fight
    the antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft, he never thought he'd be
    battling corporate espionage instead.

    A private investigator appears to have spent thousands of dollars
    attempting to obtain documents that could be damaging to Microsoft and
    its free-market allies including Zuck, who became president of the
    Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) two years ago.

    In addition, someone pried open the doors and entered the rooms of
    Microsoft's Dupont Circle offices earlier this week, according to
    Microsoft spokesman Rick Miller. Microsoft and ACT have each contacted
    the police, who are investigating the incidents.

    During the last year, two other groups that sided with Microsoft have
    seen confidential documents obtained by computer companies and leaked
    to journalists for articles that were critical of the Redmond,
    Washington, software giant.

    Both the Independent Institute and Citizens for a Sound Economy told
    Wired News they suspect corporate espionage, if not outright
    breaking-and-entering.

    On June 6, a woman identifying herself as Blanca Lopez offered
    janitors $700 cash for documents in ACT's trash, according to a report
    from P&R Cleaning Services Inc. to the building's owner, John Akridge
    Management Company, and obtained by Wired News.

    Lopez offered money on two different evenings, and identified herself
    as a private investigator. The DC police department, which licenses
    PIs, said they've never heard of her. Misrepresenting yourself as a
    private investigator is a misdemeanor in DC. Lopez' attorney declined
    to comment.

    A June 7 letter from Akridge Management Company to Alliance Business
    Centers, a tenant that sublets the office to ACT, states: "I was
    informed by Mr. Lou Delon, General Manager with P&R Cleaning that Ms.
    Lopez again offered the cleaner $500 and the cleaning supervisor $200
    in cash last night."

    Lopez gained access to the building using a cardkey from Robert M.
    Walters, a self-described consultant who had rented a room on the same
    floor of the building as ACT in May.

    Lopez entered the building on June 2 and offered the cleaners $60 for
    ACT's trash, according to the cleaning company. Turned down the first
    time, she came back again on June 6 and upped her offer to $500 for
    the cleaners and $200 for the supervisor.

    When renting the unit, Walters told Alliance he was representing a
    company called Upstream Technologies. Walters said Upstream's offices
    were at 320 Main St. in Laurel, Md., but the company at that address
    for the last decade is X-Act Telesolutions, which describes itself as
    a provider of "enhanced telephone support services." A receptionist
    there had never heard of Walters or Upstream.

    The cleaners said Lopez handed them a business card that identifies
    her as a branch manager for travel agency Travel-On, which is located
    inside the United States Energy Association. USEA, with offices inside
    the Reagan Trade Center, is the U.S. representative to the World
    Energy Council. An Energy Association employee confirmed that Lopez
    works there.

    The real private investigator turns out to be Walters, a former
    investigative journalist. "Robert M. Walters is licensed (as a PI)
    with the Investigative Group," said Detective Fern Francis of the DC
    Metropolitan Police Department.

    [...]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
POLITECH -- the moderated mailing list of politics and technology
To subscribe, visit http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html
This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------


%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%