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EU Gives Microsoft 8 Days Until Fines

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the can-we-reposess-something-shiny-and-expensive dept.

kaysan writes "European Commissioner Neelie Kroes has presented Microsoft with an ultimatum: Before Thursday next week, Microsoft must hand over all secret information on Windows protocols to its competition. Should the company choose to ignore this demand, it will be severely fined. Microsoft's history with EU fines so far amounts to approximately Euro777.5 million. Both linked websites are Dutch, but then again, so is EU commissioner Neelie Kroes."

3 of 537 comments (clear)

  1. English article by Aphax · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,194 8086,00.html

  2. Re:I don't get it, who does this help? by Rogerborg · · Score: 5, Informative
    > Microsoft is not a monopoly

    Oh, beg to differ. Microsoft is a convicted monopoly abuser. And down comes your pretty house of cards.

    --
    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  3. Re:I don't get it, who does this help? by abigor · · Score: 5, Informative

    "Without ridiculous laws against reverse-engineering, and ridiculous patent laws, anyone would be able to dissassemble any file format and then write software to use that format. Your State prevents you from doing this and entering the market, hence prices go up and service goes down, dig?"

    Reverse engineering of file formats is legal. It is a very difficult process, particularly for highly complex binary file formats like Word and so forth. The reason why .doc compatibility sucks has nothing to do with "the State". Please stop trying to wedge everything into your paranoid political mold.