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EU Fines for Microsoft Approved, Off the Record

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the whatever-that-means dept.

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."

5 of 692 comments (clear)

  1. Why Vista keeps getting delayed! by jkrise · · Score: 4, Funny

    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....
  2. darn by TheKeeper · · Score: 4, Funny

    hmm, ~1.4 billion...
    guess bill can only buy 2 small countrys this year,

  3. Why no comment? by bobdotorg · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.
  4. Re:so? by Vo0k · · Score: 4, Funny

    ....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"
  5. Re:WGA? by Schraegstrichpunkt · · Score: 4, Funny
    I would love to see that. That would be the most idiotic move that MS execs could make, ever. Let's speculate on the consequences:
    • MS execs who try to enter any of a several countries face arrest at the border.
    • The UK parliament (of "parliamentary supremacy" fame) passes a law seizing Microsoft's UK assets, revoking MS's copyrights, and allocating a bunch of money for developing a secure alternative to _all_ Microsoft software (noting that MS has no copyrights anymore, so not everything has to be written from scratch). Other countries follow suit. This may be unconstitutional in some countries, but by the time the court case finishes, it will be too late.
    • Within the span of a month, more money than MS has is devoted specifically to eliminating the "Microsoft Threat".
    • Confidence in Microsoft is completely lost worldwide. Game over.
    • Someone in Redmond yells, "Who the hell authorized that??".
    • Chairs are airborne.
    --
    http://outcampaign.org/