Microsoft Under Third EU Investigation for OOXML

The Wall Street Journal and Information Week reported this morning that EU regulators have announced a third investigation into Microsoft's conduct on the desktop. This latest action demonstrates that while the EU has settled the case against Microsoft that ran for almost a decade, it remains as suspicious as ever regarding the software vendor's conduct, notwithstanding Microsoft's less combative stance in recent years. The news can be found in a story reported by Charles Forelle bylined in Brussells this morning. According to the Journal, the investigation will focus on whether Microsoft 'violated antitrust laws during a struggle last year to ratify its Office software file format as an international standard.' The article also says that the regulators are 'stepping up scrutiny of the issue.'

Comments

no sarcasm intended.

[moogied]

Seriously. Microsoft is getting picked on. They are using standard buisiness practices to ensure market share. We don't yell at GM for not making its On-star open to everyone. So why do we get pissed at microsoft for not opening its formats to us? They would have to be idiots to agree to it. As much as this will be modded to -1 billion idiot or something, its true. I for one salute microsoft for its steadfest dedication to not caving in.

And as a slashdot fan, this will eventually screw them over. When I can share my spreadsheet from desktop, to laptop, to PDA, to amazon reader with no issues... I will be using that spreadsheet all the time. Not the microsoft closed source.

Re:Compassion

[fosterNutrition]

What does "BushCo" mean?

Actually, don't tell me. Using phrases likes that makes me think you are an idiot and I don't want to hear your opinion.

Re:The EU can go to hell

[chihowa]

No, this is a completely legitimate response that should be brought up every time a (n abusive) monopoly is held up as the end result of, or a typical manifestation of, capitalism. All too often predatory or government-mandated monopolies are used as an example of why capitalism is an undesirable system. The premise (that monopolies exist in a healthy capitalistic system) is false and continually repeating it just discourages rational thought about different economic systems. The same thing continually happens when the Soviet Union is held up as a functional socialist system. In fact, the Soviet Union example has led to the term "socialism" being a pejorative in the United States, even though the US is very socialist in many ways (eg granting unnatural monopolies).