PORTLAND, OREGON - Perhaps someone can explain marketing, politics and capitalism in Latvia. The Latvian Competition Council has issued in essence a fatwa against a subsidiary of LAYS Potatoe Chips. So where is Latvia's and its erstwhile president's outrage regarding the millions (yes $1,000,000 plus) being improperly taken by businesses and citizens?
The country's business and culture morality seems to suggest that nothing is wrong with taking movies or software without paying for it. In most societies that is called theft, in Riga it's called doing business as usual.
Don't Harrison Ford and his fellow actors deserve a reasonable wage for their efforts? How are they to give performances if they are not compensated? Anyone downloading a movie is taking earned money from these actors' pockets.
Doesn't Microsoft deserve a return for its efforts in creating a product useful to business and citizens?
The climate culture in Latvia is beyond those of us who love the country but condemn thievery.
