FC: Antitrust espionage against Microsoft: Cash for free-market trash

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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Photos from investigation:
http://www.mccullagh.org/theme/act-investigation.html
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http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37022,00.html

   MS Espionage: Cash for Trash
   by Declan McCullagh (declan () wired com)

   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.

   [...]

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