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EU Fines Microsoft $1.3 Billion
jd writes "The EU has slammed Microsoft with a fine of €899 million ($1.337 billion at current exchange rates) for perpetuating violations of the 2004 antitrust ruling.The fine is the sum of daily fines running from June 21, 2006 to October 21, 2007. It is the first company ever to be fined for non-compliance. The amazing thing is that the EU now expects Microsoft to comply and 'close a dark chapter' in their history. The EU has opened new investigations into Microsoft's practices and gave a lukewarm response to the company's turning over yet another new leaf last week."
That's 1.337.
Ryan - http://www.thecosmotron.com/
From a BBC News article on this: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6998490.stm) "Meanwhile, in the world of servers the fight is still on, with a new kid on the block - the open-source Linux operating system - making as strong gains in the market as Microsoft." (bold mine) I mean really.. new kid on the block? who is writing these?
You hate your own pet?
that maybe they timed the fine to coincide with the value of $1.337 billion?
Perhaps the answer to the problem of teenagers dropping bricks from motorway and railway bridges is to sue Tetris.
Then those of us in euroland who actually *want* to use MS products will simply kick those pan-european proto-Trotskyite apparachiks out of Brussels and out of our lives. For Good!!1
You were shooting for +5 funny, right?
1.337 billion just can't be a coincidence.
...
It's clear evidence the EU lawyers are leet and MS is suxxxorz who got pwned. I can see the court transcript:
EU Lawyers: We get signal
MS Lawyers: What!
EU Lawyers: Main screen turn on
MS Lawyers: It's you!!
EU Lawyers: How are you gentlemen!!
EU Lawyers: All your base are belong to us!!
MS Lawyers:
EU Lawyers: 1.337 billion Profit!
Now that's great justice!
please please pleeeeeaase... take windows away from those bad europeans! give them a lesson! pleeeeeease.
Dear
MS would probably want to pay up quick, before the dollar devalues even further...
Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities.
Aristotele
I believe there was a plan at one point to split them in three (Legal, Marketing and Sales AFAIR). But the new regime changed the DoJ's mind.
"Linux is for noobs"-The new MS fud strategy
You messed things up: MS would actually have to pay anyone much more that 1.3B$ to give him Vista copyright.
I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.
You mean waterboarding?
--- guns don't kill people, people with guns kill people ---
Whatever Bill.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has reportedly responded to the fine announced by the EU by issuing a request for candidates and establishing a vote-soliciation group to replace all elected officials in the European Union with pro-Microsoft officials.
If successful, it's believed that Ballmer's plan is to rename the European Union to "Microsoft EU Professional".
In a separate communication, Ballmer told EU officials that Microsoft would send them free MSDN DVDs if they withdraw the fine. "If you choose not to accept our offer," wrote Ballmer, "we reserve the right to pursue all necessary steps to ensure that software customers in Europe are provided with the opportunity to realize the value inherent in our monopoly."
Rich And Stupid is not so bad as Working For Rich And Stupid.
Looks like the EU has found a new revenue model :)
I guess the EU would keep taking money, and then give it to the people. It's like a modern day robin hood!
x86, oh yes, I'm pro.
Microsoft's response: "Just put it on our tab!"
Microsoft Reduces its Offer for Yahoo! by USD 1.3 Billion - now extending a hostile offer for only 43.3 billion dollars.
Problem? Solved.
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
We need some equivalent of "wheel clamping" for Microsoft.
How about bolting the chairs to the floor?
try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
Looks like it's dropping to me.
It's just the warping of space time making it appear to drop in a Newtonian absolute frame of reference.
We the people of the EU are waiting for the resurrection of our champion, leader and poodle of George W. Bush, namely Prime Minister Tony Blair as President Blair of the European Union, our true lord and master, whom will sort out this mess and give and order of merit of business practices to Mr William Gates. The following week Great Britain leaves the EU.
:: There is no light at the end of a tunnel. There is a tunnel after a tunnel : Thom Y.