"Microsoft is not a monopoly,"? I guess it just uses it's largely dominant position in the Personal Computer's Operating Systems (over 95%) to give other parts of their business an advantage against competitors in those markets.
I am no lawmaker, but I imagine that the European Commission's specialists have disputed this and come to a decision where, in order for "anyone" to have a fair chance at building a word processor on MS-Windows, Microsoft has to provide some (or a lot) of the links which the word processor can use.
Today the debate is not about whether MSFT or the E.U. are right or wrong, but about abiding to the law; when you get fined by the authority, you pay. If you don't, you go to jail (ever tried not to pay a parking ticket?). Microsoft has been fined $800 million and they are obviously not paying.
What is the authority to do? Let go because Microsoft is too big a fish? Will Microsoft threaten Europe to pull out all their operations from Europe?
The real unfair part is that Joe Schmoe would never get away with any fine. Justice for all?
Mike.
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"Microsoft is not a monopoly,"? I guess it just uses it's largely dominant position in the Personal Computer's Operating Systems (over 95%) to give other parts of their business an advantage against competitors in those markets. I am no lawmaker, but I imagine that the European Commission's specialists have disputed this and come to a decision where, in order for "anyone" to have a fair chance at building a word processor on MS-Windows, Microsoft has to provide some (or a lot) of the links which the word processor can use. Today the debate is not about whether MSFT or the E.U. are right or wrong, but about abiding to the law; when you get fined by the authority, you pay. If you don't, you go to jail (ever tried not to pay a parking ticket?). Microsoft has been fined $800 million and they are obviously not paying. What is the authority to do? Let go because Microsoft is too big a fish? Will Microsoft threaten Europe to pull out all their operations from Europe? The real unfair part is that Joe Schmoe would never get away with any fine. Justice for all? Mike.