While I agree that Microsoft has broken the law, they don't play fair, and that they should either publish a set of API's or conform to some standards - I have to admit that they're doing this the smart way. They throw out a piece of trash like the one discussed and let the EU get up in arms about it - they don't care, what's $5 Million a day to them? But, then they later come to the table - most likely before any deadline with injunctions - and submit an amended agreement. Because Microsoft has made the new agreement more fair than their initial one, it's more likely to be accepted. AND - they'll probably get an extension on coming up with a new agreement if that one is rejected. This is heavyweight bargaining IMHO... And Microsoft has proven they're good at it - sounds a lot like a certain anti-trust case in the US...
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While I agree that Microsoft has broken the law, they don't play fair, and that they should either publish a set of API's or conform to some standards - I have to admit that they're doing this the smart way. They throw out a piece of trash like the one discussed and let the EU get up in arms about it - they don't care, what's $5 Million a day to them? But, then they later come to the table - most likely before any deadline with injunctions - and submit an amended agreement. Because Microsoft has made the new agreement more fair than their initial one, it's more likely to be accepted. AND - they'll probably get an extension on coming up with a new agreement if that one is rejected. This is heavyweight bargaining IMHO... And Microsoft has proven they're good at it - sounds a lot like a certain anti-trust case in the US...