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Microsoft, EU Reach Antitrust Accord

Posted by Soulskill on from the of-gift-horses-and-blind-squirrels dept.

alphadogg writes "Microsoft appears to have reached an agreement with the European Commission that concludes an antitrust battle that has lasted a decade, Europe's top competition regulator said today. A proposal the company offered in July to address charges of monopoly abuse were dismissed as insufficient by the Commission, as well as by rivals in the software industry. But the latest iteration appears to have mollified the EC's regulator. 'We believe this is an answer,' said competition commissioner Neelie Kroes in a press conference. 'I think this is a trustful deal we are making. There can't be a misunderstanding because it is the final result of a long discussion between Steve Ballmer and me.' The new settlement offer addresses charges that Microsoft distorted competition in its favor in the market for web browsers, by giving its Internet Explorer browser an unfair advantage over rivals." The Register points out this interesting quote from the materials Microsoft released on the subject: "Microsoft shall ensure that third-party software products can interoperate with Microsoft's Relevant Software Products using the same Interoperability Information on an equal footing as other Microsoft Software Products."

11 of 219 comments (clear)

  1. I'll believe it when I see it... by danaris · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If this actually happens, it will be a Very Good Thing for the world in general, as Microsoft will no longer be legally able to keep changing their protocols to break access by non-Microsoft software.

    Given their track record, though, I don't believe for a minute that Microsoft will actually make all the information available in a clear and usable format. More likely they'll release some information that looks nice, to show what good boys they're being, then release some more information terribly scrambled, and keep most of the information to themselves, because by that point the EU will be paying less attention to them and they'll have to take them back to court to get them to do anything more.

    Same old story.

    And yes, I am a terminal cynic. Why do you ask? ;-)

    Dan Aris

    --
    Fun. Free. Online. RPG. BattleMaster.
    1. Re:I'll believe it when I see it... by Tom · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Actually, I'm not too sure.

      The EU antitrust body is a beast with teeth, and a lot more difficult to buy out than the US equivalent. Their power comes in large part by their demonstrated ability to battle and win against even the largest multinational corporations. They will not risk losing that reputation, and their fight with MS is being watched by players outside the software industry.

      I don't think they'll allow MS to play them for fools. If Balmer tries (and yes, I'm as certain as you that he will), they will smack him up fast and hard, because they know everyone they'll have to fight in the next 10 years is watching.

      --
      Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
    2. Re:I'll believe it when I see it... by truthsearch · · Score: 4, Informative

      "Microsoft shall ensure that third-party software products can interoperate with Microsoft's Relevant Software Products using the same Interoperability Information on an equal footing as other Microsoft Software Products."

      This is similar to the terms of the US settlement from a while back. The promised to document all protocols and interfaces. So we can already see if they would live up to the new promise.

      Before the US settlement they didn't publicly document all of their protocols. After the settlement they published many Word documents online, but for most you had to agree to incredibly restrictive terms to download them. IIRC they also charged money for some. And back then you had to purchase Word (or Windows and download a free Word viewer) to read the specifications.

      Then, as expected, they continued to change their protocols and interfaces. So even if you did keep up with all the documents you couldn't possibly keep up with Microsoft's own interoperability.

      --
      Developers: We can use your help.
  2. You've got to be kidding! by R2.0 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    'I think this is a trustful deal we are making. There can't be a misunderstanding because it is the final result of a long discussion between Steve Ballmer and me.'

    I don't know what's worse - the possibility that he could be so naive, or the probability that this is a backroom deal, and we are never going to know the whole story.

    --
    "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
  3. still can't uninstall Iexplorer by viralMeme · · Score: 4, Insightful

    'This proposed measure ensures that PC manufacturers will continue to be able to install any browser on top of Windows and make any browser the default. It also ensures that PC manufacturers and users will be able to turn Internet Explorer on and off '

    And with 'search' going to be directly embedded into the applications, the 'choice' of browser is going to become moot.

  4. "There can't be a misunderstanding" by bheer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    'I think this is a trustful deal we are making. There can't be a misunderstanding because it is the final result of a long discussion between Steve Ballmer and me.'

    "This morning I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, and here is the paper which bears his name upon it as well as mine [...] We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again." --Neville Chamberlain, September 1938.

    --
    Go somewhere random
    1. Re:"There can't be a misunderstanding" by lordandmaker · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Sometimes it's appropriate to invoke Godwin.

  5. Re:Better sources by TheLinuxSRC · · Score: 4, Informative

    Both of your links are reprints of the first linked article in the summary.... Neither better nor worse as they are the same....

  6. a little too late by alen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Microsoft's ActiveSync is already on 50 million and growing Apple devices, the Palm Pre and Google has licensed it for it's online sync service. IE is old news and MS doesn't seem to care about it anymore. Now MS owns the technology that transfers documents and email over the internet between devices.

  7. It's FAKE!! by Runaway1956 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I was told repeatedly, on slashdot and elsewhere, that offering a choice could never work. The script was to complicated, among other things. You can't download anything until the browser is installed, among other things. That Microsoft couldn't offer browsers which they didn't own, among other things.

    After all those highly intelligent individuals convinced me that this browser ballot was impossible, I KNOW it has to be fake! Those screenshots are photoshopped, it's all a figment of some demented Euro's imagination!!

    NURSE!! I need another pill, please!

    Ahh, to hell with the pill. Screw all the astroturfers who spent all their time with wasted arguements.

    --
    "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
    1. Re:It's FAKE!! by rehtonAesoohC · · Score: 4, Funny

      Sure, someone needs to come up with Internet Axplorer created by Macrosoft.