Author Topic: Microsoft in deep shit in Europe  (Read 1304 times)

preacher

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« on: 21 March 2004, 17:56 »
http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/040314121050.71e59rie

From what I have heard, the european union is basically about to declare MS a monopoly, something that the US government has yet to do. Anyway they are about to heavily fine MS and demand that they make changes to the OS to better allow competition.

 
quote:

In Microsoft's case, the sources said, this could take the form of a requirement that it detach the Windows Media Player from the Windows operating system used on 90 percent of personal computers. The media player handles sound and visual data, such as radio and TV streams and MP3 files.

One of the main complaints against Microsoft is that it squeezes rivals out of the market, such as Netscape in the past for Internet browsers, or Realnetworks Inc. and Apple for media player.



I really wish this had happened in the US, because the EU has no power to break apart MS, but they do have the power to limit its imports into Europe costing MS a huge chunk of cash. This means they can force the software maker to follow their bidding, at least in the European versions of Windows. I don't know if this will have spill over effect in the rest of the world or not. Hopefully it will.
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Refalm

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #1 on: 21 March 2004, 20:32 »
Microsoft wanted to add an extra CD-ROM containing RealOne Player, iTunes, Winamp, etc. in Europe.

The EU refused this. It looks like Microsoft is going to make special EU versions that do not contain Windows Media Player.

WMD

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #2 on: 21 March 2004, 20:54 »
quote:
Originally posted by ThePreacher:
From what I have heard, the european union is basically about to declare MS a monopoly, something that the US government has yet to do.


Well MS is a convicted monopolist in the US, technically, though they snuck out via some stupid judge.  So they are declared a monopoly in the US.
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Annorax

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #3 on: 22 March 2004, 02:47 »
quote:
Originally posted by Refalm:
Microsoft wanted to add an extra CD-ROM containing RealOne Player, iTunes, Winamp, etc. in Europe.

The EU refused this. It looks like Microsoft is going to make special EU versions that do not contain Windows Media Player.



One can only hope they realize how much money they'd make by offering the WMP-free version in the US and Canada as well.
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mobrien_12

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #4 on: 22 March 2004, 03:30 »
quote:
Originally posted by WMD:


Well MS is a convicted monopolist in the US, technically, though they snuck out via some stupid judge.  So they are declared a monopoly in the US.



A declared monopoly that lost the court case but somehow got the DOJ to agree that they would never again prosecute them for bundling/tying applications to the core OS.

*shakes head*
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mobrien_12

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #5 on: 23 March 2004, 01:45 »
UPDATE:  

http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104_2-5177278.html

Looks like the fine will be about half a billion dollars.

Bill will write a check and then it's business as usual.  A couple of other points
 
quote:
from the article
As well as the fine, Microsoft is to be ordered to offer a version of its Windows operating system without Windows Media Player and to encourage computer makers to provide other audiovisual software.

It must also license information to make the servers of rivals more compatible with Windows desktop machines.




Somehow I don't see these things happening the way the EU expects.

[ March 22, 2004: Message edited by: M. O'Brien ]

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Xeen

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #6 on: 23 March 2004, 17:28 »
It'd be funny if the EU ordered MS to remove Windows Media Player from Windows and all Billy did was delete the wmplayer.exe file.

Refalm

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #7 on: 23 March 2004, 17:45 »
quote:
xeen: It'd be funny if the EU ordered MS to remove Windows Media Player from Windows and all Billy did was delete the wmplayer.exe file.


You can't delete iexplore.exe and wmplayer.exe without modifieing the Windows XP source code.

Xeen

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #8 on: 23 March 2004, 21:18 »
quote:
Originally posted by Refalm:


You can't delete iexplore.exe and wmplayer.exe without modifieing the Windows XP source code.



Actually you can. Just boot from a disk or delete it from another operating system. I dont know about wmplayer.exe but I've done it to iexplore.exe. I deleted it from my second OS, and when I came back it didn't even bitch at me. It's rather pointless however since IE also works via Windows Explorer.

By the way, that was in Win2k, don't know about XP.

Refalm

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #9 on: 24 March 2004, 00:49 »
quote:
xeen: Actually you can. Just boot from a disk or delete it from another operating system. I dont know about wmplayer.exe but I've done it to iexplore.exe. I deleted it from my second OS, and when I came back it didn't even bitch at me. It's rather pointless however since IE also works via Windows Explorer.

By the way, that was in Win2k, don't know about XP.


I deleted iexplore.exe on Windows XP from Linux. After I booted Windows XP, it just came back.

Xeen

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #10 on: 24 March 2004, 03:31 »
quote:
Originally posted by Refalm:


I deleted iexplore.exe on Windows XP from Linux. After I booted Windows XP, it just came back.



Well in my case that wouldn't happen cause I always have System File Protection disabled and cleared. So it wouldn't have anywhere to copy it back from.

Commander

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #11 on: 24 March 2004, 04:41 »
$600 mil is nothing to MS
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Xeen

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #12 on: 24 March 2004, 19:22 »
The EU has made its final decision on the Microsoft case:

MS has been fined a record $631 Million (loose change for MS unfortunately). Why couldn't they fine them a few billion?

MS has 90 days to produce a version of Windows without Media Player integrated in.

Microsoft will (not surprisingly) appeal the ruling to European Court of First Instance in Luxembourg. Sigh...another couple years of argument. By the time the appeal case is complete, Longhorn will be out and the ruling will be pointless.

mobrien_12

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #13 on: 24 March 2004, 22:52 »
Now the Washington state senator is getting involved.  From groklaw

 
quote:
Excerpt from the article
Somebody doesn't like the EU Commission finding Microsoft guilty of antitrust violations and fining the company. The Senator from Microsoft's home state, Patty Murray, is speaking out against the EU Commission's decision, which is being officially announced today:

    "'This ruling is yet another example of the EU assaulting a successful American industry and policies that support our economic growth,' said U.S. Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat from Microsoft's home state, Washington. . . .

    "Murray called on the Bush administration to 'engage' the EU in settling the case. 'The EU has now directly attacked the authority of the United States and our economy in general,' she said in a statement. 'American jobs and economic interests are threatened,' she said."

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WMD

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Microsoft in deep shit in Europe
« Reply #14 on: 25 March 2004, 01:10 »
quote:
"'This ruling is yet another example of the EU assaulting a successful American industry and policies that support our economic growth,' said U.S. Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat from Microsoft's home state, Washington. . . .


"policies that support economic growth" = monopoly?

Utter bullshit.
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