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EC Suspends Microsoft Sanctions Due to Appeal

Posted by michael on from the too-nice-for-their-own-good dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The European Commission has suspended sanctions against Microsoft stemming from a ruling that the group had abused its dominant market position."

3 of 204 comments (clear)

  1. Foreseen by sarah_kerrigan · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Hello,

    The EC voted for patenting software. Why should we be impressed by this new decision?

    Kisses
    --

    --
    You'd stumble in my footsteps (Depeche Mode, "Walking in my shoes")
  2. Let the market speak by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Given that even CERT is now warning against teh use of some MS components I hope that the rest of the platform gets the thumbs down it richly deserves.

    Anyone involved in risk management shoudl by now have woken up to the fact that the MS platform combines high cost with high risk. Does it surprise anyone that people choose alternatives that combine low risk with low cost?

    The law is too slow - let the market decide.

  3. Screw by dark-br · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Screw the code.

    Screw the money.

    Screw "business remedies".

    All of these could be said to "excessively hurt Microsoft", and most importantly *do not reduce barriers to entry* (with the possible partial exception of the code).

    What competitors *really* need is Microsoft forced to open their file formats and network protocols, so that they can fully interoperate.

    Microsoft got where they were by bundling products together and keeping them from interoperating with competitors' products. Fining Microsoft and then letting them continue doing what they were doing may help out the EU, but doesn't do a whole lot to solve the problem.

    There are *very* few arguments Microsoft can make against opening file formats and network protocols. There is minimal IP value in each -- it doesn't take a smegging horde of PhDs years of research to create the Word file format. It does nothing but help the consumer, and helps mean that Microsoft always needs to compete.