EU hits Microsoft with record 899 million euro anti-trust fine Options

[Xbox-Scene]

EU hits Microsoft with record 899 million euro anti-trust fine Posted by XanTium | February 27 12:08 EST | News Category: Xbox360

From AFP via google: [QUOTE] EU competition regulators dealt a new blow to Microsoft on Wednesday, fining the US software giant a record 899 million euros for defying a landmark 2004 anti-trust ruling. The fine, equal to 1.4 billion dollars, is the biggest ever levelled against a single company in an EU antitrust case and brings the total penalties against Microsoft to just below 1.7 billion euros. "Microsoft was the first company in 50 years of EU competition policy that the commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an anti-trust decision," EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said. In reaction, Microsoft said it was "reviewing the commission's action" and highlighted that the latest EU action targeted "past issues." "The commission announced in October 2007 that Microsoft was in full compliance with the 2004 decision, so these fines are about the past issues that have been resolved," the company said. In particular, it accused Microsoft of using its stranglehold on PC operating systems to elbow rivals out of the more competitive markets for media players that play music and videos, and operating systems running back-office servers. [/QUOTE] Full Story: AFP

[0794]

wow, that is quite interesting, everyone has just assumed that MS bullied themselves into the monopolistic power that they are, but they always seemed like the mafia in escaping significant punishment from regulation agencies. i will be curious if this fine actually holds...

[bucko]

I wouldn't be surprised if they start limiting what they do/sell in Europe, MS and EU clearly don't get along together, true the fine is like 0.3% of there yearly turnover but if you were MS would you let some EU bully you for writing your own code?

I don't see Apple getting sued by the EU for not letting there DRM collection run on other players (although France had a go it's not really EU) yes they do DRM free stuff but at a higher cost for example.

[Replex]

I cant be the only one that feels that all these EU fines on Microsoft seem a bit unfair?

[GeToChKn]

This always puzzles me. If they keep getting in trouble for 'bundling' a media player and web browser into an OS, then how come Apple doesn't get sued for pre-installing quicktime or safari browser. Home come every linux distro I download now has Firefox 'pre-installed' and some media player and open office in it. What if I want to use star office, they are forcing open office on me. Lets just give away blank OS's to everything. No browser included in any OS. IF you want a browser, you can download one and install it. O wait, you can't download one, you don't have a browser installed.

[Replex]

Precisely, I want my "Operating System" to actually operate my computer... their not advertising Windows as a Development Platform (which it actually is), but an Operating System. I don't have to use Internet Explorer or WMP if I do not want to, however it is my decision. Apple and Linux distros do the same as the above poster said, however they are not receiving the unfair treatment MS is on this matter.

This post has been edited by Replex: Feb 27 2008, 09:02 PM

[88 Ecko Unltd 88]

EU and MS are the biggest rivals ... when this happend in the US with the bush administration it was more like a slap in the hand, but now with the EU its more like a slap to the face ... they also have been paying off rivals a delt of money over the years (example: novell they paid them 500+ mil as i can remember ) this shouldn't hurt them too much since they have a huge monopoly(cartel ) going on

my 2¢

[TMownsu]

I wouldn't be surprised if they start limiting what they do/sell in Europe, MS and EU clearly don't get along together, true the fine is like 0.3% of there yearly turnover but if you were MS would you let some EU bully you for writing your own code?

I agreed with the EU first fine to make ms release a os without media player cause most people use other programs. Only cause MS f'd all the people in US over win 98. But europe is getting close to cutting their own throat. Pretty soon it will make sense to not make windows available to europe. It is simple to me why windows is more popular. Apple is proprietary, If they were smart they would make it so we can build our own boxs & use their OS on it.

This post has been edited by TMownsu: Feb 28 2008, 12:48 AM

[xlx Methos xlx]

This always puzzles me. If they keep getting in trouble for 'bundling' a media player and web browser into an OS, then how come Apple doesn't get sued for pre-installing quicktime or safari browser. Home come every linux distro I download now has Firefox 'pre-installed' and some media player and open office in it. What if I want to use star office, they are forcing open office on me. Lets just give away blank OS's to everything. No browser included in any OS. IF you want a browser, you can download one and install it. O wait, you can't download one, you don't have a browser installed.

that's because they are not the dominate force in the market. when 85-90% of all computers are NOT running your software, it really doesn't matter what you bundle with your software because you are not seen as "bullying" your media player and web browser onto people. Now where i am surprized that Apple hasn't had any of this happen (either in the states or EU) is with the iPod and iTunes.

I bet there are legal ramifications to prevent this, but here is what I would do if i was Microsoft. Pull out of the Eurpean market. Stop selling all software to them. Yes it will cut into profits, but it would make a point. The anti-trust case years ago in the states made sense, and was a good thing at the time, but the EU is being a bully. Microsoft has complied and complied to them, now it's time to just pull out if possible. What would be a further kick in the teeth, i'm sure in the EULA there is a clause that states that Microsoft can revoke the license at any point in time for any cause without any prior noticiation of any of it's software..... They should do that to every agency that is tied to the EU in addition to saying that we will no longer sell any of it's software or services to Europe. At that point, the EU will beg that MS comes back because the people will demand it. The officials that are elected will not reelected next round because the people will feel that they can no longer use the software they are use to, and want to use because their elected officials caused this, so people with lesser views on Microsoft will be elected instead. Not to mention the companies with the money will also fund these people.

[dmitri]

boo hoo poor microsoft..

For those not in diapers and remember the 90s, pre-Google Microsoft, is this a supprise? This is the last of a long set of deliberations. They steam-rolled anything in their way to the top. They're a totally different company now.. One that would hesitate to make a buck over bad PR.

-dp

[ConteZero76]

Microsoft was sued because, acting from a near-monopoly strace, they put in their software in Windows for the sole purpose of ramming a pre-existing market.
This is the most questionable part, but it is as it seems, you can be with or against but when you see how the whole IE thing finished (that means they gained a market just to leave IE6 as it was - IE7 was planned as a Vista-only browser and it's mainly a firefox ripoff) you cannot deny there's something true in this.

The most interesting part is the trojan horse "activity".
For example... when you buy XP or Vista you can share files only via SMB, nothing allow you to access or share files via NFS (UNIX sharing system) out of the box... why ?
Because they tend to lock you to Windows and Microsoft-only stuff.
If you are using Windows @work then you'll probably need to share files with other people...
...Microsoft is forcing you to do this via SMB, they are pushing other Microsoft solutions.
At the end of the day they are "abusing" their desktop monopoly to gain other markets.

They are, of course, allowed to use SMB and their protocols but, as a monopoly, they should gave access to informations allowing others to develop tools to work with their protocols...
Microsoft locked SMB (and AD) specifications.

When the UE ordered them to disclose those informations (i.e. make them available for a reasonable price) they just tried to avoid the whole thing with high prices and (as far as it seems) outdated specs.

This last fine is just for this, to "punish" them for the unreasonable price and the attempt to ignore EU statements.
EU commission is still after Microsoft, they told MS that they'll keep watching because if Microsoft keeps on cheating they'll eventually come back and strike again.

PS: Sorry for my English.