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Microsoft Cancels EU Antitrust Hearing
bahstid writes "The NY Times reports that Microsoft and the European Commission have canceled the only hearing planned in an antitrust investigation into the company's tying of Internet Explorer into Windows because of a dispute over the attendance of European regulators serving as advisers. As a result, the commission will reach its decision and levy a fine based on written statements from Microsoft and its adversaries. Microsoft decided against the opportunity to give oral evidence in the case after it was unable to persuade the commission to move the meeting, scheduled for June 3rd through 5th, so that it did not conflict with a global antitrust conference in Zurich that draws European antitrust regulators."
MS requested the opportunity to present oral arguments, the EU scheduled the meeting, MS felt that, although all the required attendees could make it, the date conflicted with another large event, leaving MS without a chance to orally lobby some of those on the sidelines.
MS said that they're not attending, and the EU cancelled it. Basically that means that it's over and that MS is going to lose.
Get your checkbook out, Ballmer!
Put identity in the browser.
When I was younger and lived on Nauru, we used to go climb the mountain. There is a big mountain on Nauru. Well, not so much a mountain as a crater. But the crater is filled with guano, so it's not truly either a crater or a mountain.
Anyway, we used to climb the mountain after school. Once I found a dead body in the brush. When I called my father over, he simply told me to go home. Later that evening, my father called the police and there was a big hullabaloo over the dead body. I remember eating dinner that night after the police had left and I asked my mom why she was crying. She told me that they would have to hold my father in detention until more evidence could be gathered.
My father died in that Nauruan jail cell.
The first is that Microsoft knows that it is so guilty that nothing they say or do at this point will make their penalty smaller.
The second is that Microsoft has simply given up any hope of getting a fair hearing because the EC has already made up its mind.
and people complaining that a US company has to abide by european rules in the EU
It's certainly not the first time anyone's skipped work to go to a con.
got this from one of the related links at the bottom of TFA:
According to the person, Microsoft will argue that Internet browsing is inseparable from the Windows operating system. Microsoft will also emphasize that consumers can download and use any competing browser with Windows, and that Internet Explorer's share of the browser market has been falling steadily.
so thats part of their argument? "You see, we're loosing, so that means it's ok for us to cheat!"
here is the article (May 8th)
sigs... don't talk to me about sigs....
Judge: Why didn't you attend your DUI?
Me: Oh, I cancelled it, didn't you get the email?
Judge: I didn't get a chance to check my email this morning, when can you attend another hearing?
Me: I don't have time I'm afraid, it's all explained in the email though
Judge: OK then, drive safe now!
Me: Thanks!
Summation 2
As much as I like companies getting kicked in the perticulars, I don't think shifting *any* OS without a browser is a good idea.
So, I wonder if MS would ship their OS with different browsers or no browser and a big button saying 'Download IE8 now!' placed on the desktop. The latter changes nothing very much, and the former raises the question what they'd put onto there.
You loose your cow in the pasture to let her browse on the grass in a matter that is not detrimental to the pasture's ability to keep growing grass.
It is almost as insane as claiming that foreign companies would have to follow US laws when operating in the USA.
How could we ask for that when even our own companies don't follow them!
First off, I'm sure that this will get marked as flame bait, because it's easier to rate than to reply. The point isn't really whether IE is too integrated with the OS or not - so what if it is? Personally, I hate IE, *but* a lot of Apple's success is attributable to the tight integration of all its apps with the OS, while *nix distros generally suffer from having too little integration. If MS didn't have such a lion's share of the market, this would not be any more of an issue that it is with Apple. The reason it's an issue is because we've forgotten sportsmanship. If you're losing in a game, you don't (or shouldn't) cry UNFAIR! Instead, you find a way to win. If people think that a crappy browser being too is too integrated into a mediocre OS is unfair, then WRITE AN OS THAT PEOPLE WANT - after all, it's not like the bar is set that high with Windows. It's just too easy to blame failure (in this case, failure to gain a majority market share) on unfair play. Unfortunately, those who spend their time pointing out why they can't win will never do so.
Several have mentioned a third possibility, that Microsoft is just not used to being unable to throw its weight around and get its captive audience for expounding on its special right to innovate that ordinary people like me can't have, and has gone home to pout.
So to speak.
I can think of a few other possibilities, such as planning to sue the EU for not allowing them their "day" in court.
If your analogy is not a fiction, my condolences about your father.
I have to wonder, is that crater where they mined the phosphate?
But if they remove IE from Windows, how am I supposed to download Firefox?
How is it wrong that they bundle Internet Explorer, or even integrate it entirely into, Windows? Windows is their property, if they wish to integrate functions x y and z into it, even hardcoding them in, what is the problem again?
It isn't as simple as just writing an OS that "people want"
Unfortunately, market share plays an important part in what people can use - regardless of what they might 'want' if they had the chance.
If everyone around you uses product A then you are pretty much forced to use product A too... that is, unless you can free up the specifications of that product so that others can write compatible applications, and more importantly, get those competing applications included with the market leading platform.
Before you start wittering on about writing software that people want, you might do a bit of homework about market strategies, monopolies and economics in general. Otherwise nobody will have any respect for what you have to say.
So basically Microsoft claimed it was innovating when it packaged a browser with its OS and history shows everyone else copied them. So if its illegal why can Apple and most Linux builds do it?
Protip: preview botton
Actually Microsoft's attitude towards IE has been rather commendable lately, what with the improved standards-compliance of IE8 and the fact that it can be easily uninstalled from a Windows 7 installation, leaving no trace of it behind. Not to mention the number of browsers has improved over the past couple of years on the Windows platform, and how Microsoft is opening up to ODF support in Office and the like. It's getting to a point where the legitimacy of senseless Microsoft-bashing is at an all-time low.
BS. Abuse of monopoly is their business model.
you had me at #!
Microsoft are spinning this. They say that nobody senior was available, that is nonsense. The EU were sending Neelie Kroes, who is European Commissioner for Competition and about as senior as could possibly be. Microsoft got scared and ran away doing damage limitation PR on the way out.