Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 27th Feb 2008 18:33 UTC, submitted by JJ
"Microsoft was fined a record 899 million euros (USD 1.35 billion) by the European Commission on Wednesday for using high prices to discourage software competition in the latest sanction in their long-running battle. The executive arm of the European Union said the U.S. software group defied a 2004 order from Brussels to provide the information on reasonable terms. Microsoft has now been fined a total of 1.68 billion euros by the EU for abusing its 95 percent dominance of PC operating systems through Windows."
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Member since:2006-01-06
It has nothing to do with creating a lucrative market for basic apps. It's about allowing software to compete on the platform.
They already have that freedom. Third parties are free to negotiate with OEMs such as Dell and Gateway and IBM to include their software. Google does it. So do other companies.
The de facto installed position of that software allows Microsoft to create dependence before customers are aware of lock-in or alternatives. The EU sees that tactic as abusive. I tend to agree.
That's nonsense. Nobody is "dependent" on or "locked-in" to the Microsoft apps (Media Player, IE, etc). There are plenty of free alternatives. FireFox is eating IE's lunch in the EU -- perhaps somebody should email a clue to Kroes -- despite this so-called "lock-in".
Member since:
2006-03-12
It has nothing to do with creating a lucrative market for basic apps. It's about allowing software to compete on the platform. If you delete RealPlayer, it's gone. If you delete Windows Media Player, it respawns itself before your eyes, and when you run it, you get an advertisement of your choice from among a handful of Windows Media download services offering files that require Windows Media Player on Windows to keep playing. The de facto installed position of that software allows Microsoft to create dependence before customers are aware of lock-in or alternatives. The EU sees that tactic as abusive. I tend to agree.