Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

EU Regulators Open New Microsoft Investigations

Posted by Zonk on from the same-thing-over-and-over dept.

The New York Times is reporting on two new investigations into Microsoft business practices opened by EU antitrust regulators. The new cases center on the company's positioning of Office and Internet Explorer, and were apparently partially prompted by Microsoft's earlier heel-dragging. "'It would have been preferable if these issues could have been resolved amicably with Microsoft,' said Jonathan Todd, a spokesman for the European competition commissioner, Neelie Kroes. 'But that has not proved to be the case. Therefore we have opened these formal investigations. That does not prove there is a violation. We will only be able to come to a conclusion after investigations.' The legal battle that ended last year involved the bundling of a media player with Windows and the availability of information required to make rival software operate smoothly with Microsoft products. In September, the Court of First Instance, Europe's highest after the European Court of Justice, endorsed the commission's 2004 decision to impose record fines on Microsoft."

6 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. The only way to fight bundling... by explosivejared · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Bundling software has been the source of the EU's complaints against MS. The only way to fight bundling is to inform the consumer that they have choices. Until the average consumer understands that there are other programs outside the suite that Microsoft offers, there will be no real competition. Power users are not in the majority. The people that know what vlc, foobar, opera, etc. are are not in the majority. Firefox has proven that is possible to break out and actually compete with MS products, but they had to establish name recognition with consumers. The standard windows package with WMP and IE will cotntinue to strangle the market until people become vaguely familiar with the fact that their are options. It wouldn't hurt for people understand open source support and how it contrasts with closed source support, but that's probably an unattainable dream. However, Firefox has proven that when the stars align, there is a market for non-MS products.

    Education is, as always, the great equalizer. It's the only thing that can make a market actually work.

    --
    I got a catholic block.
    1. Re:The only way to fight bundling... by Tom · · Score: 3, Informative

      Education matters little.

      Even if the average user knows there are alternatives, it is additional work, he is insecure, and MS works hard to make it as inconvenient as possible.

      More importantly, corporate IT departments are very reluctant to install any additional software if there is already software of the same kind. They'll support one browser, one office suite, one media player. Guess which ones. Not because those are better, but because those are pre-installed and they have to support them anyways.

      --
      Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
  2. another one?!? by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 3, Funny

    Man, the EU must really be out to get MS. They're opening what, like a new investigation every day?

    --
    This guy's the limit!
  3. No, Don't Start Anything You Can't Finish by curmudgeon99 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Microsoft's problem is that they thought they were beyond reach. They behaved as bastards--thinking they could not be touched. So, Microsoft started this and the EU is pissed and is going to finish it.

  4. Re:MS pulls out of EU by Daimanta · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't think you understand how huge the EU market is. If MS doesn't release any software into the EU you can expect a BIG shareprice drop.

    --
    Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power lost.
  5. Re:MS pulls out of EU by Mantaar · · Score: 5, Informative

    Orly?

    Are you just joking, or a complete nutjob? I assume it's the former, just for the sake of sanity.

    Inhabitants of the EU: 494.8, Millions, that is. Way more than Kentucky. Way more than the US, actually. Over half of the households in Europe are actually using computers. That's one hell of a market, if you ask me. MS can't, just can't afford to lose that market. And it's not only about the numbers - the European market is very innovative, many software companies are producing - well... software. Imagine if their environment wouldn't mostly use Windows as its main OS?

    References:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_statistics
    http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90781/90877/6314195.html

    --
    I'm an infovore...