Microsoft Loses

[Dubh Aingeal]

Microsoft has lost its appeal against a record 497m euro (£343m; $690m) fine imposed by the European Commission in a long-running competition dispute. The European Court of First Instance upheld the ruling that Microsoft had abused its dominant market position.

About time someone did what the US gov't is afraid to do.

[asphyxian_doll]

wow.

yeah i agree it is about time.

the American government allows scams and cheap quality and yet overpriced marketing,

as long as the big boys make their share of the profit...

[angusfergus]

About time someone did what the US gov't is afraid to do.

Which was what exactly? Punish Microsoft for including software in their OS package? The US already did that, or haven't you noticed that Microsoft Office is a separate product when it used to be included with Windows, and that is a result of an antitrust suit in the US? You do realize that Microsoft's EU version of windows-the one without WMP-costs the same as a copy of Windows that has WMP? Microsoft is forced to share information with rival companies so that the other companiesproducts willwork with Microsoft products...that works one of two ways. Either it's intended to make it so third party software will more easily integrate into Windows, or so that Microsoft products (like WMP) can be used on other platforms. Well, there are already Mac OS versions of Microsoft products, so that's not it. And third parties have been making Windows compatible software for twenty years...so that can't be it. Seems more like an attempt by the EU courts to chop down Microsoft's market share by forcing them to divulge their code to their competitors. Submarining a company JUST because their products are dominant? I would never want to see the US do this.