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Microsoft Admits Japanese Monopoly Battle Hurting Image

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the saving-face dept.

News for nerds writes "The head of Microsoft Corp.'s Japan unit, Michael Rawding, acknowledged that the battle with Japanese anti-monopoly authorities over a controversial licensing clause has hurt its corporate image. But he said the company will continue to oppose a Fair Trade Commission ruling ordering Microsoft to retroactively remove the clause from its licensing agreements, as similar investigations in the United States and Europe found it 'lawful and appropriate' according to him, though Longhorn faces another delay. Commission officials are not certain any patents have been violated by Microsoft. But several Japanese electronics makers have complained about suspected patent infringements since December 2000, especially regarding multimedia technologies (VC-9 and H.264/AVC, anyone?). Major Japanese CE companies that are partners with Microsoft include Sony, Toshiba, and Matsushita."

8 of 133 comments (clear)

  1. Hooray! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Commission officials are not certain any patents have been violated by Microsoft. But several Japanese electronics makers have complained about suspected patent infringements since December 2000

    Hooray for software patents! Down with Microsoft!

    (Did I get that right? TIA)

  2. Different country, different laws by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    as similar investigations in the United States and Europe found it 'lawful and appropriate'

    Surely he realizes that that doesn't matter, since United States and European laws and rulings do not apply in countries other than the U.S. and the European Union, respectively.

  3. Who the hell do they think they are? by intnsred · · Score: 4, Funny

    Who the hell do those Japanese think they are? Do they think they run their own country?! Do they think that the Japanese Parliament gets to enact laws that protect their citizenry from monopolies?!

    Don't worry though; they'll soon fall into line lock-step behind the American and European plutocrats.

  4. Easy fix by lukewarmfusion · · Score: 5, Funny

    All they have to do is give up the New York Ave and Illinois Ave monopolies. They can have Boardwalk, but the Japanese are particularly frustrated with the free parking corner.

    *sigh* The end of the day is always my most productive.

  5. Whew! by Otter · · Score: 5, Funny
    For a while, it looked like we were going to have to go through a day without a "Longhorn is delayed!" story! I applaud the submitter's ability to jam "...though Longhorn faces another delay." into this writeup for no apparent reason.

    Let's see -- we've had the Two Minutes of Rage Against SCO, Google IPO, Sun vaporware and Wireless Technology That Americans Must Be Forced To Want -- if the editors can scrape up an new IE vulnerability and a stupid Linux Is/Is Not Ready For The Desktop article, we can call it a day.

    --
    What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
  6. Re:what company image ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    MS's image was damaged the day they decided software quality was secondary to marketing, quarter balance sheets and screw the customer for everything you can

    You mean the day they opened?

  7. Re:Boosting the Company Image? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    New York -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Software (PETS) announced today that seven more software companies have been added to the group's "watch list" of companies that regularly practice software testing.

    "There is no need for software to be mistreated in this way so that companies like these can market new products," said Ken Granola, spokesperson for PETS. "Alternative methods of testing these products are available."

    According to PETS, these companies force software to undergo lengthy and arduous tests, often without rest, for hours or days at a time. Employees are assigned to "break" the software by any means necessary, and inside sources report that they often joke about "torturing" the software.

    "It's no joke," said Granola. "Innocent programs, from the day they are compiled, are cooped up in tiny rooms and "crashed" for hours on end. They spend their whole lives on dirty, ill-maintained computers, and are unceremoniously deleted when they're not needed anymore."

    Granola said the software is kept in unsanitary conditions and is infested with bugs.

    "We know alternatives to this horror exist," he said, citing industry giant Microsoft Corporation as a company that has become extremely successful without resorting to software testing.
  8. Re:It sounds like Windows 3.1 is making a come bac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Gee whiz. Gotta love the artificial limitations Microsoft shoves into its operating systems. Yeah, I'm sure releasing that bastardized system will stop piracy.

    Program_Count++
    If Program_Count > 3 Then Print "Pay us more money damn it!!11!!"