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EU Rejects Microsoft Royalty Proposal

Posted by samzenpus on from the no-money-for-you dept.

pallmall1 writes "According to MSNBC, The Financial Times has reported that the EU is going to drastically reduce or even eliminate Microsoft's proposed royalties on interoperability information required to be released by the EU's antitrust ruling issued three years ago. According to a confidential EU document, "Microsoft will be forced to hand over to rivals what the group claims is sensitive and valuable technical information about its Windows operating system for next to no compensation...". Even Neil Barrett, the expert picked by both Microsoft and the EU to oversee Microsoft's compliance with the 2004 ruling, says a zero percent royalty would be 'better.'"

4 of 274 comments (clear)

  1. Re:EU = still playing where it doesn't belong by Brett+Buck · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    >whether we like it or not, windows is currently the
    >standard and if someone wants to compete (which lets that
    >whole "free market" thing work), they need to be compatible
    >with windows and with microsoft's formats (.doc, etc.)

        Now, let me get this straight - simply taking a companies' intellectual property with next-to-no compensation is being argued on "free market" grounds? Mind-boggling.

            Brett

  2. Re:Uhm, aren't they the criminals here? by Blighten · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    I could get charged with being a bank robber, then make a deal where I agree to only rob a small bit from banks, and then I'd demand compensation for loss of earnings.

    From the sound of it, it's exactly the opposite of that. The EU is basically demanding MS to hand over their IP for free. This is much like someone going to a bank and demanding that they hand over the money for free, for sake that they are not willing to work for the money instead. There simply isn't an excuse for this blatant attempted robbery in the name of socialism; production without compenstation is not something that should ever be forced onto anyone.
  3. Re:I want to get paid!!! by giafly · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    I think MS should make their info more available. But then again, I do want to get paid if I do something.
    So you're a whore. That's OK, we're broad-minded. Just for interest, how much did you get paid for that post?
    --
    Reduce, reuse, cycle
  4. Re:I want to get paid!!! by IdleTime · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    You must be American...

    Only an American is stupid enough to say what you did.

    --
    If you mod me down, I *will* introduce you to my sister!