Wednesday, November 28th 2007

Nigerian Firm Sues One Laptop Per Child Foundation

No doubt most techPowerUp! readers will have heard of the One Laptop Per Child project which aims to help developing companies by providing them with cheap (the aim is $100 eventually) laptops, primarily focused on education purposes. However, the project could face some trouble as a Nigerian firm, Lagos Analysis Corp., is now trying to sue the OLPC foundation for illegally reverse engineering the company's software drivers in order to make the keypad on the laptops more accent mark friendly to users. According to Lagos Analysis Corp., the 'alt gr' key on the laptop's keyboard has the same functionality as the 'shift2' button on the firm's own keyboard. The OLPC foundation has responded with the following comment:
One Laptop per Child, a non-profit educational organization, has hear that Lagos Analysis Corp. (LANCOR) has sued OLPC in Nigeria, but OLPC has not seen any legal papers related to the alleged suit at this time. OLPC has the utmost respect for the rights of intellectual property owners. To OLPC's knowledge, all of the intellectual property used in the XO Laptop is either owned by OLPC or properly licensed. Until we have a copy of the claim and have had time to review it, we will not be commenting further on the matter.
Source: Reg Hardware
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40 Comments on Nigerian Firm Sues One Laptop Per Child Foundation

#26
Ketxxx
Heedless Psychic
Thats low. I hope that nigerian company gets a proper slating.
Posted on Reply
#27
hat
Enthusiast
This is how Africa is anyway. They are still a very immature clump of factions really, as most countries are split up in civil wars. In Africa it's kill or be killed, steal or be stolen from, it's a survival of the fittest. And I know I'm gonna eat s*** for this one, but this is the reason black people tend to be more violent, as they have so much violence in thier background. It's in thier gene-pool.

I'm not racist, it just happens to be that way because of genetic history. In fact I might go as far as to say I have black friends. Well, I'm friendly with some black people, I just don't do too good of a job of defining the line of "friend" and "we're just friendly with eachother".
Posted on Reply
#28
panchoman
Sold my stars!
guys lets not get racist and lets not let one gay company ruin the image of nigeria
Posted on Reply
#29
hat
Enthusiast
hatI'm not racist
cough
Posted on Reply
#30
panchoman
Sold my stars!
i never implied that you were
Posted on Reply
#31
hat
Enthusiast
panchomanguys lets not get racist
sneeze
Posted on Reply
#32
Ketxxx
Heedless Psychic
/ket sees
/ket reads
/ket bursts out laughing
Posted on Reply
#33
panchoman
Sold my stars!
hey ket, me likey tu avvy :)
Posted on Reply
#34
Widjaja
The firm obviously doesn't care about the kids.
Just the money.
Posted on Reply
#35
mdm-adph
hatThis is how Africa is anyway. They are still a very immature clump of factions really, as most countries are split up in civil wars. In Africa it's kill or be killed, steal or be stolen from, it's a survival of the fittest. And I know I'm gonna eat s*** for this one, but this is the reason black people tend to be more violent, as they have so much violence in thier background. It's in thier gene-pool.

I'm not racist, it just happens to be that way because of genetic history. In fact I might go as far as to say I have black friends. Well, I'm friendly with some black people, I just don't do too good of a job of defining the line of "friend" and "we're just friendly with eachother".
You know, saying "I'm not racist" in amongst all that is almost silly. If you're not racist, like you say, you might need to examine yourself inside. ;)

And to anyone wondering why Africa "is the way it is," I implore you to look at the history of most countries there and the sorry state they were left in after colonialism largely ended in the middle of the 20th century. It isn't pretty, and a lot of the problems they have today can be traced back to that.
Posted on Reply
#36
aximbigfan
Oh well.

The program is broken anyway. Ever since it was announced, my spam rate has shot through the roof.

Chris
Posted on Reply
#37
Unregistered
hatThis is how Africa is anyway. They are still a very immature clump of factions really, as most countries are split up in civil wars. In Africa it's kill or be killed, steal or be stolen from, it's a survival of the fittest. And I know I'm gonna eat s*** for this one, but this is the reason black people tend to be more violent, as they have so much violence in thier background. It's in thier gene-pool.

I'm not racist, it just happens to be that way because of genetic history. In fact I might go as far as to say I have black friends. Well, I'm friendly with some black people, I just don't do too good of a job of defining the line of "friend" and "we're just friendly with eachother".
well, first, I would like to say that I am born and raised in Namibia, currently a canadian, and am white {not that that's better, but it usually helps explain some of these things}. in Africa, racism is a national sport because, yes, people will be killed for about ten rand {almost a dollar}. yes, genetic memory has been a proven factor in racism, but that's not really the problem. when liberation came around in south africa, there were strikes in municipal organizations at least once a month. crime rates went up 300% {unofficially}, and the currency went lower. I myself am not racist, but I am prejudiced untill someone can prove that their stereotypes don't apply.

in countries like these, they take any opportunity they can get to further themselves. if people in north-America and Europe grew up in the same conditions, they would be just the same. I grew up in a fairly developed area, and I have still seen a man cut fire-wood with an ak-47 {I think that's what it was. I was only 6 at the time}, and I like to think that I can honestly say that we, as a developed country with money coming out our backsides, cannot understand their motivations, and only look like asses when trying to understand them.




now, to steer away from my rant, I would rather blame the company than the country, as most of the cuntry would benefit from it :)
Posted on Edit | Reply
#38
Bundy
lemonadesodaWelcome To Nigeria

It's all about THIS keyboard and what "purples" show up on the OLPC keyboard

Oh dear, look where LANCOR put all those QWERTY and $ keys. Oh dear, slap, slap, looks like they've been "reverse engineering" the QWERTY! LOL. I wonder how much money they paid to MS for the "windows logo". Nothing? Oh dear, slap, slap. Get MS to sue them FIRST for PRIOR infringment, and sue them to bankruptcy BEFORE poor old OLPC has to go to court. Quick OLPC, 411 to our friend Bill Gates. He get Balmer and the lawyers all fired up for you!
Where did you get the picture? They might sue.....
Posted on Reply
#39
Kreij
Senior Monkey Moderator
bundyrum&cokeWhere did you get the picture? They might sue.....
He reverse engineered it ... I think :p
Posted on Reply
#40
lemonadesoda
longcats got it off hacking ur internets.

PS. my picture was an artists rendition

YOU COPIED IT :slap: naughty naughty
Posted on Reply
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