Slashdot Mirror
EU Fines for Microsoft Approved, Off the Record
mattaw writes "The Register is carrying a report that all 25 member states of the EU have found Microsoft guilty of non-compliance, off the record. Microsoft is in line for a fine of $2.51 million per day backdated to December 15th 2004 for failing to meet the terms of the EU commission's ruling."
From TFA: "I can assure you that we are continuing to work day and night with our 300 dedicated engineers to create documentation which is complete and accurate to satisfy the European Commission."
No wonder then! If it takes 300 engineers, several nights and days to document the protocols of an obsolete OS..... we should be surprised if Vista ships before 2010!
If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
hmm, ~1.4 billion...
guess bill can only buy 2 small countrys this year,
An EC spokesman was unwilling to comment.
Seconds earlier that night, said EC spokesman was was overheard in an Amsterdam cafe, "Dude! Can you believe it? $1.4 Billion. Pass that shit over here, some jackass American reporter is ringing my mobile."
__ Someday, but not this morning, I'll finally learn to use the preview button.
Hold a gun to Bill's head until he's finished writing the documentation ?
Well, it's the EU, not USA.
....also, if EU was Really Really Mean, they'd say "Sorry, you didn't pay 1.4 billion, you paid only 1.4 milliard, that's 0.1% of what you should pay." and Microsoft would be deep under :)
Anagram("United States of America") == "Dine out, taste a Mac, fries"
...at least you hope that's still the case.
There is a danger that a rich person won't care one bit, no matter how many speeding tickets he gets. That's why it good that it's more expensive for him: the point is that it should sting the same amount for everyone.
Yes, and stupid grin aside, here is exactly how to go about that.
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
They wouldn't be able to levy any fines. They'd be too busy trying to get their computers to work.
They don't. The problem is that the EU commission won't specify exactly what's "good enough" documentation. It's like I asked you to give me some fruit. You're looking for a kumquat. I give you an orange, and you say "no, that's not good enough". I give you a lime, and you say "no, that won't do either". I ask you what kind of fruit you really want, and you say "no, you just have to give me the fruit". Actually it's more like this EU: we need you to reveal your kumquats. MS: How about we give you something better (reveals an apple) EU: No that is not good enough you need to show your kumquats. MS: OK we will give you something better (reveals loads of apples) EU: those are not what we want or need, why don't you give us the kumquats we asked for? MS (in a press conference): We don't know what the EU is asking for so we think a fine is unfair. MS fanboy on Slashdot: how is it fair that Microsoft are fined when they don't know what the EU wants? (Uses an analogy that they think proves there point despite the majority of slashdotters showing they (unlike Microsoft ) do understand what the EU wants. How come your average slashdotter can understand it yet MS and there lawyers can't?)
Saying Apple is better than MS is like saying Botulism is better than rabies.