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EU Plans Fresh Strike on Microsoft (must bundle browsers other than Internet Explorer)
Wall Street Journal ^ | May 30, 2009 | Charles Forelle

Posted on 05/29/2009 8:17:41 PM PDT by reaganaut1

Frustrated with past efforts to change Microsoft Corp.'s behavior, European Union regulators are pursuing a new round of sanctions against the software giant that go well beyond fines.

The regulatory push is focused on a longstanding complaint against Microsoft: that it improperly bundles its Web browser with its Windows software. Rather than forcing Microsoft to strip its Internet Explorer from Windows, people close to the case say, the EU is now ready to try the opposite measure: Forcing a bunch of browsers into Windows, thus diluting Microsoft's advantage.

The sanctions would come from an EU investigation that began last year. In a sign of how rapidly the case is progressing, these people say, the possible penalty has emerged as a key focus in discussions between the parties.

The potential action would be a sharp parting blow by Europe's competition commissioner, Neelie Kroes, as she enters the waning months of a term marked by aggressive enforcement. This month, Mrs. Kroes hit semiconductor maker Intel Corp. with a record antitrust fine of $1.48 billion.

The EU hasn't made a final ruling on Microsoft, and likely won't for at least several weeks. An EU spokesman says any sanction against Microsoft "would be based on the fundamental principle of unbiased choice."

A spokesman for Microsoft says it is committed to "full compliance" with EU law.

The EU has stacked up more than $2 billion in fines against Microsoft since 2004. Mrs. Kroes has taken a hard line -- calling out Microsoft as not compliant and more than doubling the original penalties.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government
KEYWORDS: microsoft; neeliekroes
The title is apt -- a government "striking" a productive company. The bureaucrats should go pound sand.

To state the obvious, people who want to use a browser than Internet Explorer can use IE to download Firefox or whatever. That's why I did. People who are not savvy enough to do this probably don't want think about browsers and are satisfied with the IE default.

1 posted on 05/29/2009 8:17:41 PM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

This s just a bunch of useless bureaucrats trying to justify
their paychecks!


2 posted on 05/29/2009 8:20:17 PM PDT by Mr. Right Now
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To: reaganaut1

And which part of simply NOT using that browser if you dont LIKE/WANT it, didnt the Euro-weenies understand?


3 posted on 05/29/2009 8:21:46 PM PDT by max americana
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To: reaganaut1

This is nothing but an attempt to help an EU company, Opera, at the expense of an American company.

The EU is using their anti-trust actions as a form of trade war.


4 posted on 05/29/2009 8:22:27 PM PDT by MediaMole
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To: reaganaut1

This has been an issue of pure idiocy since it first appeared late last century.

If you don’t like what MS offers, don’t buy it!


5 posted on 05/29/2009 8:29:48 PM PDT by Reagan Man ("In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.")
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To: reaganaut1

Fines of Microsoft are just a revenue line item in the EU budget. They always get $600M per year.


6 posted on 05/29/2009 8:31:59 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (If Liberals' GOAL was the Destruction of Western Civilization, would their behavior differ?)
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To: MediaMole
I'm not a fan of MS, but this is nonsense. Why MS should be required to install anything.

Computer supplier could provide an option to the buyer - if they want this or that, to install it. But for the EU to require from the MS to mandatory bundle their OS with the third-party software?!

And with which browser, mind you? I suppose, all of them to avoid an unfair advantage - Firefox, Mozilla, Chrome, Opera, Safari, a browser that some unknown company is developing or will be developing as long as such company as MS will be distributing??

7 posted on 05/29/2009 8:32:09 PM PDT by alecqss
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To: reaganaut1

I like it when Bill Gates tries to get statists off his back by sending free computers to people in the jungles of Africa who probably just end up trying to kill it with spears.


8 posted on 05/29/2009 8:35:19 PM PDT by exist
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To: reaganaut1

Deja Vu America under our wonderful socialism....


9 posted on 05/29/2009 8:35:57 PM PDT by EagleUSA
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To: reaganaut1

Sounds like the judge isn’t smart enough to download Firefox, or SeaMonkey, or Chrome, or a half dozen or so legacy browsers still floating around.


10 posted on 05/29/2009 8:37:30 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: reaganaut1

Exactly. Download to your hearts content. I love firefox, but use explorer every once in a while. I try lots of things and use the most user friendly for me and my own logic (which my ex would laugh at). Microsofts new Bing search engine sounds like it will be right up my alley since google went political.


11 posted on 05/29/2009 8:45:40 PM PDT by huldah1776 ( Worthy is the Lamb)
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To: MediaMole
There's only one problem: all the serious web browser users are switching en masse to Firefox 3.0.10, and most of those will switch to Firefox 3.5 when it is released later this summer. Since Firefox enjoys WAY more third-party support than Opera does, what the EU is doing ends up wasting of everybody's time.
12 posted on 05/29/2009 9:04:52 PM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's economic cure)
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To: RayChuang88
There's only one problem: all the serious web browser users are switching en masse to Firefox 3.0.10, and most of those will switch to Firefox 3.5 when it is released later this summer.

My www.cliftonlaboratories.com web site is running almost 50% Firefox. Last week's data shows 47.8% Firefox, 52.2% IE. (I've not counted the small number of other browsers such as Opera.) Of course my site attracts ham radio and electronics tekkie types, so it may not be a fair view of the total browser world.

Jack

13 posted on 05/30/2009 4:06:12 AM PDT by JackOfVA
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To: JackOfVA
I LOVE Firefox because it is reasonably stable and fast and you can't beat all those themes and extensions you can install for the browser.
14 posted on 05/30/2009 5:35:37 AM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's economic cure)
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To: reaganaut1

What would the EU say if in response the US began to litigate for “bundling” Porsche engines into Fiat autos?


15 posted on 05/30/2009 6:52:22 AM PDT by Sgt_Schultze (Si vis pacem, para bellum)
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To: reaganaut1; rdb3; Calvinist_Dark_Lord; GodGunsandGuts; CyberCowboy777; Salo; Bobsat; JosephW; ...

16 posted on 05/30/2009 10:15:36 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: reaganaut1

Well sure, but I’m sure they’ll forbid making IE the default. This whole issue is stupid, as if IE somehow made money for MS and they were abusing their monopolistic position to secure that money. Chasing browser sellers out of the market doesn’t make you any money if users are now convinced browsers are free, and when all the others ARE free. I’m not real fond of Microsoft, but I feel sorry for them when they run afoul of these computer illiterate Eurotrash.


17 posted on 05/30/2009 1:39:09 PM PDT by Still Thinking (If ignorance is bliss, liberals must be ecstatic!)
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To: RayChuang88

I actually preferred Opera to Firefox till they hosed the UI at about version 7.5. I like the integrated email, and Firefox wasn’t as good then as it is now.


18 posted on 05/30/2009 1:42:05 PM PDT by Still Thinking (If ignorance is bliss, liberals must be ecstatic!)
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