M$ Hit with $357M fine

[Newby]

http://slashdot.org/articles/06/07/12/1218204.shtml

Apparently M$ isn't too worried about it inside sources say, but it will lower their already small paychecks for employees.

If I were running M$, I'd pull out of Europe and say, "have fun with linux and macintrash, you european cocksuckers," but I'm ruthless.

[MyndFyre]

If I were running M$, I'd pull out of Europe and say, "have fun with linux and macintrash, you european cocksuckers," but I'm ruthless.

LOL

[Warrior]

I've been hoping they pull out of EU. We'll see how fast they drop those damn fines. It would be beautiful.

If Linux grows then so be it, I'd rather have Linux competing against MS as opposed to Mac.

[CrAz3D]

"anti-competition ruling"

uhm, wow, that's pretty scary!


Next week:

The European Union has decided to sue the Olympics Committee in order to stop all forms of international athletic competition, plans to sue everyone else underway.

[iago]

yeah, I'm glad that the EU has the balls to stand up the Microsoft.  In the rest of the world, justice can't be bought.  I love it. 

And incidentally, they've been threatening this for years, and MIcrosoft hasn't answered their demands. 

In some cases, I think Microsoft is being shafted.  But I don't care, I don't like Microsoft so I'm happy to see them get screwed

[ZeroX]

If I were running M$, I'd pull out of Europe and say, "have fun with linux and macintrash, you european cocksuckers," but I'm ruthless.

Teach me in the ways of the PWN.


Newby > God

[CrAz3D]

yeah, I'm glad that the EU has the balls to stand up the Microsoft.  In the rest of the world, justice can't be bought.  I love it. 

And incidentally, they've been threatening this for years, and MIcrosoft hasn't answered their demands. 

In some cases, I think Microsoft is being shafted.  But I don't care, I don't like Microsoft so I'm happy to see them get screwed

Justice!?

You call stopping a company because they're good at what they do justice?!

Its the same as affirmative action right now!  Its stupid! 

Scenario:
You & Joe are both up for the same job...you have more money & more more easily avalible but someone sues so that Joe gets the job....is that justice?!  FAR FROM IT!

[Warrior]

I think this comment on slashdot sums it up:

This is my point. What would be the consequences of such inaction? Basically, the EU is seen to be powerless against mega-corporations. The law is subject to corporations, not the other way around. M$ would be perceived as above the law in the EU! Big, big trouble...

The only way the EU could actually enforce this would be to threaten, essentially, trade sanctions. But how heavily is the government, industrial and home market of every EU country saturated with M$ products? So they can't even impose anything worth a damn without incurring massively detrimental consequences themselves.

Think this through, seriously. It's frightening.

In other words, either way MS will win. You can fine them all you want, if they refuse to pay what are you going to do..ban Microsoft products in EU? Whooptydo, it's going to hurt EU a lot more than it will hurt MS.

MS has very smart legal consultants on a very large payroll, I think they are two steps ahead of the game.

[Newby]

MS has very smart legal consultants on a very large payroll, I think they are two steps ahead of the game.

What's nice is that all M$ employees get FREE access to said legal consultants.

[iago]

You call stopping a company because they're good at what they do justice?!

No, I call stopping a company for breaking the law justice.

Scenario:
You & Joe are both up for the same job...you have more money & more more easily avalible but someone sues so that Joe gets the job....is that justice?!  FAR FROM IT!

That's not the same situation at all.  More accurately would be, me and Joe are up for the same job.  I have a lot of money and pay the HR rep to hire me.  Should I get in trouble for it?  Absolutely. 

In the US, if you can afford high-end lawyers, you can get away with pretty much anything.  In the EU, it doesn't seem to work that way.  I think that's a serious problem with your (and Canada's) legal system. 

[CrAz3D]

My scenario is closer to whats going on than yours.  MS didnt pay anyone off, they just have a bigger hold on the market.

Anti-competition laws, how could ANYONE support that!?  That means higher prices for everyone, probably lower quality goods too, its communism in full swing!

[Warrior]

In the US, if you can afford high-end lawyers, you can get away with pretty much anything.  In the EU, it doesn't seem to work that way.  I think that's a serious problem with your (and Canada's) legal system. 

I agree with this slap on the hand technique employed by the US won't work either. It's hard to deal with this withought placing some sort of restriction on MS's products. I think if the EU, Canada, AND the US stood up together then MS might open their eyes and comply with seemingly logical things. I mean for fucks sake, it's just damn documentation. Jesus fucking christ MS it won't kill you.

[CrAz3D]

In the US, if you can afford high-end lawyers, you can get away with pretty much anything.  In the EU, it doesn't seem to work that way.  I think that's a serious problem with your (and Canada's) legal system. 

I agree with this slap on the hand technique employed by the US won't work either. It's hard to deal with this withought placing some sort of restriction on MS's products. I think if the EU, Canada, AND the US stood up together then MS might open their eyes and comply with seemingly logical things. I mean for fucks sake, it's just damn documentation. Jesus fucking christ MS it won't kill you.

what sort of documentation about windows are they supposed to release?...everything?

[Warrior]

In the US, if you can afford high-end lawyers, you can get away with pretty much anything.  In the EU, it doesn't seem to work that way.  I think that's a serious problem with your (and Canada's) legal system. 

I agree with this slap on the hand technique employed by the US won't work either. It's hard to deal with this withought placing some sort of restriction on MS's products. I think if the EU, Canada, AND the US stood up together then MS might open their eyes and comply with seemingly logical things. I mean for fucks sake, it's just damn documentation. Jesus fucking christ MS it won't kill you.

what sort of documentation about windows are they supposed to release?...everything?

I don't remember exactly it was some sort of net service.

MS's problem is that they create technologies, it becomes widely adopted and then they don't release the standard. That stagnates competition. It makes it hard for others to even compete, monopolies are only relevant when the company is so in control of the market. Another company can be doing the same thing but not be significant so no one will care. I don't necessarily agree with it but it's how things are.

[iago]

Anti-competition laws, how could ANYONE support that!?  That means higher prices for everyone, probably lower quality goods too, its communism in full swing!

What do you mean higher prices?  Do you think that when a company has a monopoly, the price falls?  No.  When a company has a monopoly, they can charge whatever they want to, and things are far more expensive. 

In either case, whether or not you support the law, it's the LAW.  If you don't support the law, that's fine, but you can't get mad about a company being fined for breaking it. 

[Nate]

So, Microsoft pays the fine and raises prices in the EU to cover the amount.

Ten years down the line people will call it 'The Great European Microsoft Tax'.

                                              or

Microsoft says hahaha and stops distributing its software to the EU and perhaps even stops producing software in the languages that exist only in the EU.