Russia Launches Antitrust Probe of Microsoft
Posted 06/06/09 at 11:05:23 PM by Justin Kerr
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Russia’s state run anti-monopoly service has launched a formal investigation into Microsoft over cutbacks in the supply of Windows XP. The agency believes that Microsoft has violated antimonopoly legislation by intentionally limiting the stock of Windows XP to Russia in both retail, and OEM editions which come preinstalled on new PC’s. Analysts claim that Windows Vista continues to be available, while the ongoing demand for XP both by the public, and the government, remains unsatisfied.
Microsoft has yet to formally address the issue, but according to the Moscow regional office, nobody from the anti-monopoly service has tried to contact them. "We (have) always answered antimonopoly service questions in full and intend to continue this practice in future," Microsoft spokeswoman Marina Levina said by telephone. Full scale investigations by the antimonopoly service in Russia are rare, and Microsoft will be given more details by July 24th.
The accusations being made in Russia are drastically different than previous antitrust cases leveled by the EU and USA. In both these cases, the complaints were focused on software bundling for which it was fined $708 million in 2004 by the EU.
Could Microsoft be intentionally limiting Windows XP supply in Russia to help push Vista?
When going get tough
Submitted by k11k on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 9:53am
When going get tough, its time to sue Microsoft for money. Why not? they saw the european did it, soon the world will sue MS for money. Will there be a letter that says MS is being sue on my behalf by a attorney sent to me?
Submitted by linkmaster6 on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 4:59am
In Soviet Russia we monopolize you
Submitted by periodhyphenund... on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 2:38pm
In Soviet America, we Monopolize Microsoft's Spyware on a Global Scale, but in the end, it will be used to Monopolize Everyone/Everywhere so we have a lot in common!
Is MS going to have to
Submitted by horzo on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 8:45pm
Is MS going to have to respond to lawsuits brought by every hack little regulatory agency in every corrupt craphole on the planet, now? Russia claiming infair business practice is comical. The only thing funnier would be the Chinese government claiming copyright infringement.
Wow, do you feel better now?
Submitted by Vano on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 5:36pm
The funny thing is that many "officials" using illegal copies of OS.
How about you first fix up your piracy laws, then bitch about monopoly, eh?
Submitted by periodhyphenund... on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 8:51am
"Officials" in EVERY Country use Illegal copies of Microsoft Windows XP because they are more secure than the Retail Copies you buy in a store!
The Best Illegal copies do not require that you activate through MS SpyServers
The Best Illegal copies of XP do not contain Service Pack 3 which is where most of the Govt. Spyware resides!
XP-SP3, Vista and Windows 7 are all Illegal Spyware Platforms that Rogue Governments use to see everything you have have on your computer (Including Encrypted Data)
So instead of Bitching about Piracy Laws, How about Securing this Countries Electronic Borders by Criminalizing the Manufacture, Sale and Use of ALL Microsoft Retail Software!
Anyone using a retail copy of Windows is incompetant and should be placed on a National Security Watchlist as they are clearly a danger to themselves and others!
*rolls eyes* Remind me to
Submitted by nekollx on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 8:56am
*rolls eyes*
Remind me to target my Orbital Death Ray on this noob.
Submitted by periodhyphenund... on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 9:33am
If you wish to be famous, just prove me wrong in any Legitimate Court of Law!
You can't!
All you can do is Roll your eyes and Target a Real Windows Sercurity Expert with an imaginary Death Ray!
Get a Life
Submitted by nekollx on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 9:35am
So you openly admit to champions ilage pirated Microsoft products while I...don't and you hoestly think you stand a chance agasitn me in court?
Submitted by periodhyphenund... on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 11:24am
Never in my Life have I ever admitted to champions ilage!
And What the F^%$$ is that anyway?
You Phail @ the Internet
Submitted by nekollx on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 11:26am
yeah you see ass? That's me walking away from the troll.
Submitted by periodhyphenund... on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 2:05pm
And just how do you walk away from yourself Troll?
Submitted by nightkiller on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 5:35pm
Russian family businesses are leaning on the Anti-Monopoly people because botnet command and control centers are run out of Eastern Europe. If security were improved through better operating system software without having to depend on intelligent users (is that an oxymoron or what?), those nets would be harder to implement and control. That's bad for the family business. What would happen if the Russian Anti-monoploy people started investigating Russian family businesses for monopolistic behaviour?
You choose a flightless bird as a mascot and wonder why it doesn't take off?
Say what?
Submitted by ghot on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 3:01pm
Could Microsoft be intentionally limiting Windows XP supply in Russia to help push Vista?
uh....yeah lol......just like they are doing everywhere :/ Even newegg.com only has OEM versions...unless of course you want Vista....then you can get the retail version...what I don't understand is why MS hasn't been locked away in federal prison, since the Vista launch....they broke just about every rule in the book.
Take an OS, and edit out all the efficiency, and what you have left is a post-XP Microsoft operating system :)
And what rules would those
Submitted by Caboose on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 10:25am
And what rules would those be?
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
Submitted by van_helblaze on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 11:58am
Isn't XP going to be completely unsupported by the time Windows 7 comes out?
Submitted by compro01 on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 7:38pm
Nope. XP will be provided with security updates until 2014.
Uh, no, because Linux is a
Submitted by I Jedi on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 9:22am
@ Devo85x
Uh, no, because Linux is a much more secure platform. I surely don't want the Russians having a better and more secured network.
Submitted by pglasc on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 7:57am
If they would stop drinking that vodka those pesky little russians could run vista.!!!! ahahahahah
Could Microsoft be
Submitted by Jox on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 7:41am
Could Microsoft be intentionally limiting Windows XP supply in Russia to help push Vista?
D'uh.
-Jox
Im not big with international law but...
Submitted by Devo85x on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 6:59am
Im not big with international law but, how can another country investigate or try to punish an American company?
Submitted by MeTo on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 7:34am
When in Rome do as the Roman's do. If you sell in there country you have to live by there law's. Look at Europe they have slaped Microsoft with lawsuits big time.
Linux Mint,Dual boot/Vista,AMD Athlon+ x2 5600,3 Gig ram,500 Gig HDD,ATI 1300 Video.
Submitted by Devo85x on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 9:07am
I say, if russia has a problem with it, fuck them, MS just doesnt need to sell to them, they can switch to linux, fucking assholes :)
Submitted by Vano on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 5:38pm
Wow, do you feel better now? maybe you should slap yourself harder or hit a wall with that mouth of yours?
You know nothing about other countries to say anything like that.
Submitted by tehR0XX0Rz on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 4:12am
"Vista has been rock solid since word got out how bad it sucked and Microsoft patched some of the suck out. Microsoft rocks because they'll patch some suck when sales are threatened."
Vista is less consumer-friendly for media enthusiasts. Vista is more demanding of system resources, while at the same time offering little real value over XP. The ONLY reason I can think to install it is for support of more than 4Gb of RAM.
Russia is a hotbed for piracy; the idea of Russia calling foul is like a Mafia boss complaining about the RICO statute.
Microsoft IS antitrust; their entire business model is based on it.
Submitted by Caboose on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 9:40am
News flash genius, 64bit Windows (XP, Vista, 7, 2003 server, 2008 server) support more than 4GB of RAM. Windows Vista 32bit supports a max. of 4GB of RAM, same with Windows XP. The only difference is that Windows Vista shows all 4GB and Windows XP shows around 3.25GB.
Vista supports DirectX 10 and nativly supports more hardware than Windows XP. Plus Vista Media Centre is a million times better than Windows XP Media Centre is.
Do you have evidence that Vista is not as consumer-friendly for media enthusiasts? I used Vista on my HTPC until recently when Windows 7 RC was released and I switched over to it.
All of you that are holding on to Windows XP for dear life, will be left behind, and then be the ones bitching and complaining that you can't use the newest and best hardware on your archaic system, and then bitch and complain more when you FINALLY join the rest of us and move on.
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
Submitted by Nailer669 on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 3:15am
XP is 7 years old. Most people don't drive the same car for that long! All of this argument will go away when Windows 7 is released. Since Windows 7 actually runs faster on a Thinkpad T61 than XP, people can stop whining about it. Besides, it is kind of like trying to sue Ford because you don't like the new model of the F-150, and Ford doesn't make the old model anymore. Microsoft has to cut the cord sometime. Vista has been rock solid since SP1. After October 22nd (Windows 7's release date), everyone will be going "XP what?".
Submitted by nekollx on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 8:22am
but my 1992 Volvo was the BEST, its a anti trustbecause Volovo won
t make the 1992 model any more!
I'll Sue!
Here we go again...
Submitted by Blaze589 on Sat, 06/06/2009 - 9:56pm
Here we go again...
Submitted by I Jedi on Sat, 06/06/2009 - 8:56pm
The answer is both "yes" and "no", as Microsoft officially announced that they were limiting licensing of XP copies, except those on OEM machines, if I recall correctly. In the case of rather or not its an anti-practice for pushing Vista out and trying to limit XP, well, they'd have to prove that MS was intentionally doing this, rather than just moving on with their next OS.
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