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Details Emerge On EU-Only "Browser Choice" Screen For Windows
Simmeh writes "Microsoft have posted screenshots and details on their upcoming 'web browser choice screen.' Requirements include being in Europe, and having Internet Explorer set as your default browser. It comes with a few surprises, as the software automatically unpins Internet Explorer from your taskbar, and offers 11 alternative browsers."
Ahh, the code of the corrupt bureaucrat. I agree, they could certainly use that one though since an OEM sells a product and doesn't manufacture one, it might be hard for them to come up with the appropriately sophist argument legitimizing this arbitrary rule.
Uh, forced? For-profit private companies should be forced to offer certain software packages to their customers?
That makes no sense at all. Unless you don't particularly like companies being able to choose what they do and would rather mandate what they do in the name of "common good" and the like. Of course, then you get to figure out just who gets to decide what the "common good" is for everyone else.
Microsoft would be very stupid to do that.
The EC will just find a way to smack them even harder. They could get a bunch of independent or "independent" experts to give their opinion on whether the "technically correct" solution favoured IE or not, and present their conclusions.
Microsoft can get away with lots of stuff in the USA, but they're not considered an EU company like say Airbus.
If they hadn't already found Microsoft guilty then Microsoft could use technicalities and debate interpretations of laws to convince them that Microsoft is innocent. But Microsoft has already been found guilty.
If you want to stay somewhat unhindered in foreign countries, you don't piss off their governments and then try to weasel out of doing what they already said they want you to do.
Technicalities won't save you. Those Governments are unlikely to lose votes or support when they crush you (a foreigner) for misbehaving despite you trying to use some loophole. And the US Government is unlikely to burn any political/diplomatic capital to help Microsoft in this.