GristyMcFisty used our news submit to tell us the Inquirer is reporting that the Indonesian government is turning over a new leaf. Pretty soon that is. At least when it comes to using stolen software to run the country. Oh, and they want to see what kind of a deal they can get on the legitimate software first.

AFTER YEARS of using hot software, Indonesia says it is planning to eliminate the use of pirated software in government offices. This is despite the fact that nine months ago it announced a tough copyright law and launched a crackdown on sales of pirated software. That crackdown applied to other people. However, a spokesman for the government's information minister said that representatives of government institutions have agreed to take an inventory of pirated software in government offices and negotiate with legal vendors for lower prices. "It would be ironic if we break the law we made ourselves," Kristiadi told Agence France Presse. The government is looking at the Linux operating system, it appears. Some estimate that nine out of 10 computers in Indonesia use pirated software.

It would be ironic all right. Don't forget to call the press with the results of your internal probe.

Source: The Inquirer