Microsoft Brazil has initiated legal proceedings against a magazine and a senior government official, claiming the company has been defamed.

In a 7 June filing to the Criminal Court of Sao Paulo, Microsoft said that "Sergio Amadeu, President of the National Institute of Information Technology (ITI), aiming at disseminating free software among Ministries, State owned companies and governmental bodies, made aggressive declarations lacking any kind of technical foundation about the use of the software developed by Microsoft."

The filing continues: "In defending free software, Mr. Amadeu does not abstain from criticizing Microsoft, accusing the company of a 'drug-dealer practice' for offering the operational system Windows to some governments and city administration for digital inclusion programs.

"To Amadeu, this will be a decisive year to win the 'strategy of fear, uncertainty and doubt,' as he classifies the business model of Microsoft.

"These declarations made by Mr. President of the ITI, beyond being absurd and criminal, extrapolate prohibitions and violate duties inherent to the public office the Defendant exercises."

Asserting that Amadeu's remarks are infringing speech under Article 25 of the Press Law, Microsoft has demanded that Amadeu answer a list of questions, mostly centred on the use of the phrase "drug dealer practice."