Microsoft in Talks to Diffuse EU Antitrust Suits
Microsoft in Talks to Diffuse EU Antitrust Suits
Posted 07/08/2009 at 7:04am
| by Paul Lilly
9
Comments
Print
Looking to avoid any further fines from the European Union, which has been anything but bashful in levying big money fines against big money corporations, Microsoft is in talks to settle two additional probes that could potentially add to the $2.34 billion it has already had to fork over from previous cases.
The most pressing matter is a case over Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, in which Microsoft has previously stated it would ship a version of Windows 7 for distribution in Europe with IE8 stripped out. This came in response to the commission saying it was considering forcing Microsoft to offer consumers a choice of browsers when configuring a new PC. Microsoft canceled a June hearing in the browser case, saying not enough EU and national competition authorities would be able to attend.
"It's in their interest to settle before the EU has to impose sanctions," said Matt Rosoff, an analyst at Kirkland, Washington-based Directions on Microsoft. "That way at least Microsoft has some control over the actions they're going to take if they can agree in private."
But the browser issue isn't the only thing the EU is concerned with. The EU is also looking into complaints that Microsoft doesn't provide formatting and other information for rival products to work with Microsoft Office software, such as Word and Excel, Bloomberg reports.
Image Credit: Crunchgear
More like this
mesiah
July 08, 2009 at 9:12pm
You know, not to sound like an arogant full of myself American. But I think we should have a new national holiday. One day a year we cut off all service and support to foreign countries. Block all outgoing transmitions. No flights, nothing. And we can have a "life without the United States" day. Everyone bitches about us until they need us, then its "please america, help us out." or better yet "Why aren't you getting involved?!" At the hight of the gulf war, when france decided to unilateraly send troops into the ivory coast until they realised they were being overrun, did they ask the UN for help? No, they asked the U.S. for help. And at the same time, when China was posturing with their naval excercises and weapons technology, did they want to deal with the U.N. when it came to negotiations? No, they wanted to speak to the U.S. directly.
I'm getting tired of watching the EU target big dollar american companies to see how much cash they can milk out of them. This isn't about reform, this is about revenue. Do you honestly think the EU gives a shit about competing web browsers that aren't even based in the EU? No, they care about, as they put it, making companies "support the people." But at the same time if these companies go away or threaten to cut service like MS stripping IE from their OS they freak out.
"Socialism is great until you run out of other peoples money."
Spider-Mom
July 08, 2009 at 6:41pm
If they dont like and have so much to say why dont they just make their own god damn OS. Seriously, fuck these guys.
Wildebeast
July 08, 2009 at 9:17am
As far as I'm concerned, they're still paying for giving Office and IE greater control over previous OSs. (I have no clue if they are still doing that.)
It is a bit puzzling to me, that they're going after IE, rather than Office [too many different vers of Office can't even read each other's file-types] --but I guess most of the competition in office suites has died off.
I suppose it's partly a USA vs. EU thing. To me, the quality of IE is pretty poor.
I've got an oem Win98 cd somewhere with IE and Netscape on it... is it really so hard, to have multiple Browser installation packages on the OS disk?
I know they don't want to provide any support for competitors... I guess that's the gist of the problem, really. All the other Browsers MUST work with Windows, or find a fix ASAP. MS is perfectly comfortable having their latest patch break someone Else's Application ---that's the Other Guy's problem.
nekollx
July 08, 2009 at 9:30am
is that really so wrong though?
I mean it would be pretty scary if MS tracked every program you instaled under the gist of "insuring compatibliity" and required full disclosure of the SDK by shaid companies to 'patch' them.
No thank you. I'm not interested in a world when MS knowa i have Daz Studio 3, Champion Online beta, Capitalist Puncher 8, Dear Hunter 4, Fuka Neko Hentai Madness 3, and Quickbooks and have the SKU to change th code as they see fit.
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Wildebeast
July 08, 2009 at 10:40am
As I tried to suggest, this was the complaint 15 years ago... MS not giving competitors notice of changes in the way the OS interacted with a browser [or whatever].
MS provides a new "patch" that cripples your spreadsheet program, doesn't tell you it'll happen. (maybe they don't know?) And of course, the publisher of the spreadsheet app feels MS is treating them badly, because MS would rather sell you a replacement, than assist getting the crippled competitor working.
A fair proportion of it may be just various perspectives... This is what the Regulator Agencies of the US and other countries are for. Although I suspect in the US, we let lawmakers take WAY too much money from lobbyists for these things. I have no clue if the EU is the same, but it seems as though all Posters here are assuming it's as bad or worse.
Putting it simply though, the variety of choices I have, to fill any software need, is the REASON I personally chose a WinPC over something by Apple. Windows apps are so much more varied and robust is that MS used to work with App. publishers, instead of undercutting them.
IF MS seeks to be the ONLY provider, or the ONLY option, for any WinPC application ---THAT is them seeking to counter my reasoning for staying with Windows. If I wanted that, I really would just buy a Mac. It's anti-competitive, it's not in My best interest, and it's not in the software industry's best interest. I don't think it's in MS's interest, either, but maybe they won't figure that out, without lawsuits & fines.
For this, IE actually is a pretty good example. Between Netscape's selling out to AOL and Firefox 1 coming out, there was almost ZERO innovation and/or progress in browsers. (feel free to re-read the above paragraph) They even got into it with Sun, because MS wanted to have their own version of Java, without worrying about compatibility...
I guess we can thank MS for browsers being free, and for OpenOffice being free. So... if/when they do sell an OS without IE in the EU, it'll be the same price --because IE was free-- not because they've decided the charge extra for removing it.
They were able to give IE away, because they were already getting so much for their OS. It's no surprise that Netscape couldn't compete, when a browser was all they were selling. It's kinda funny though... MS didn't OVERCHARGE me for WinXP --they just settled our Class Action suit so that I got back 30% of what I paid for it. (I'm not sure what the Lawyers' cut was...)
Caboose
July 08, 2009 at 8:42am
You've got to be shitting me! If the EU wants Windows to be open source like Linux, just say so.
This is like telling Ford, GM and Dodge that they are to now offer different brands of engines in their cars (I know that they will sometimes use other brands anyway and most people don't know... GM uses Honda engines in some of their vehicles).
Microsoft developed Office, Windows, IE. If they want to sell their product bundled then that's their choice, the end user can choose to use something different if they want!
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
whitneymr
July 08, 2009 at 8:37am
How about Microsoft says "screw you" and pulls sales and updates to EU countries. I bet the public will be down on these politicians real fast.
comptech08
July 08, 2009 at 7:40am
Geesh what is the EU going to do to Microsoft next? Fine them because their OS disks say Microsoft on them only and not other companies like Apple, Google, or IBM?
nekollx
July 08, 2009 at 8:18am
Hummmm
*checks open office...save as doc.* what do they mean "formating for rival companies to worth with" i can save in doc just fine in open office.
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Connect with MaximumPC
Featured Content
We introduce Intel's latest class of tablet killers and review 4 of the first Ultra...
Where have all the memorable videogame enemies gone?
This month's issue
Feature
11 Hardware Hacks
Feature
Overclock Your CPU
How-To
Supercharge Your Smartphone
Build It
A Powerful $830 Rig
Most Commented Articles
Latest Max PC Tweets
- maximumpc: Analysts: 9-Inch Kindle Fire This Summer http://t.co/QDYApwCZ2 hours 28 min ago
- maximumpc: Micron: DRAM Prices Likely as Low as They're Going to Get http://t.co/fFUWuFOm5 hours 25 min ago
- maximumpc: Yar, Mateys! All Of Pirate Bay Made Available As A Single 90MB Zip File http://t.co/j5LHlXEZ6 hours 39 min ago
