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Japanese FTC Warns Microsoft

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the firing-back-at-redmond dept.

ChibiOne writes "The Japanese Fair Trade Commission has ordered Microsoft to cut a restrictive contract clause, designed to protect the software giant from patent-related lawsuits by PC manufacturers that sell products using Microsoft's Windows operating systems. Under such provision, Japanese makers would be unable to sue Microsoft even if the software giant's technologies are deemed to violate their patents. The Japan Times Online has the scoop."

4 of 204 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Sign here, no need to read it..... by XeRXeS-TCN · · Score: 5, Informative

    "Manufacturers have voiced concern that Microsoft could conceivably gain access to proprietary information about their cutting-edge products, and would be able to distribute their technology to competitors using the Windows operating system."

    I don't know if M$ would actually do this or not, but the disputed clause in the contracts essentially gives M$ a free ride to do so.

    Is it so surprising that a company like Microsoft would steal technology? They generally license it when they can't get away with it, but if they could steal with no repercussions (as this agreement would technically allow) you can bet that they would steal technology to stay "competitive". They have gone for the most underhanded business tactics against many companies and organisations over the years, most notably the open source and free software movements; and don't forget they essentially stole the original concept for a "windows" system from Apple, so I wouldn't trust them further than I could comfortably spit out a rat.

    Additionally, the FTC obviously considers those concerns legitimate, as the article says:

    The FTC raided Microsoft's Japan headquarters in February as part of its investigations.

    This isn't a *supposedly* "dubious" company like Sharman Networks (KaZaA) are accused of being, this is the so-called "untouchable" Microsoft, who sell nothing but legal product; so for any organisation to go so far as to raid their headquarters, the concern must be very believed and legitimate indeed.

  2. Re:Sign here, no need to read it..... by achurch · · Score: 5, Informative
    But he said Microsoft would drop the clause from all contracts signed from August onward. He said this decision was made following internal discussions over the past year.

    Perhaps M$ agrees? Sometimes even the 900lb gorilla can catch on.

    Actually, the decision to drop the clause from August onward was made before the warning--the warning was issued because Microsoft refused to drop it before then (which is probably why the article calls it a "largely symbolic" move), and Microsoft is still contesting it.

  3. Re:Obligatory... by shigelojoe · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...in Japan!

    Er, I mean... here.

  4. Re:Sign here, no need to read it..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Concepts behind the GUI are older than Xerox. Look up Jef Raskin's 1969 paper on the Quick Draw Interface. Engelbart's mouse is similarly dated.

    Xerox created a prototype from existing ideas. It was nowhere near as developed as the original Mac.

    Apple licenced some concepts and hired developers like Raskin for others.

    Microsoft, on the other hand, licenced nothing and had access to Apple source code when developing the original Word application.

    Hmm...