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Microsoft Source Code Still Not Enough for EU?
wjsteele writes "The BBC is reporting that Microsoft's offer to allow rivals access to its software blueprint may not be enough to prevent European Union action." From the article: "Its offer to open up its software blueprints 'underscored its commitment' to meet the European Commission's demands, Horacio Gutierrez associate general counsel for Microsoft Europe said in a statement. However, Brussels has warned the offer may not go far enough. 'It would be premature to conclude that offering access to source codes would necessarily resolve the problem of compliance," said EU anti-trust spokesman Jonathan Todd.'
Maybe Microsoft should throw in the source code to Microsoft Bob to sweeten the pot a little?
I mean, what if Europe demanded to know the secret ingredients to certain food products.
Well, then their competitors would be no better off since their chemists have already figured that out, but their customers allergic to those ingredients would sure be better off.
I know a woman who avoids Chinese food because she knows she's allergic to soy, but didn't understand why McDonald's made her sick for years until I found her a reference to their usage of soy. Mind, she's blonde, but still.
When will patriotic sentiment make way for intelligent remarks ?
The EU changing their stance? You must be kidding?
EU: You are ordered to provide the specifications to some of your closed protocols to other companies, so they can interopt with Windows.
MS: We'll do even better, we'll give you over 12000 pages of completely unreadable documentation to our fantastic Windows operating system!
EU: No, we would rather just have the specifications to your protocols.
MS: Ok, because you guys insist we will do something really really special. Way better than providing you with the specifications to our protocols. If you promise not to make any use of it and pay a nice fee we will let you have a look at some of the source code for Windows! Isn't that the greatest thing ever? We are so great!
EU: Great, but we'll rather just have the specifications to your protocols.