EU Plans Fine, Remedies for Microsoft 'Abuses'

[Ambrose Chapel]

http://www.reuters.com/financeNewsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=2JMJS1NANI3I2CRBAELCFEY?type=businessNews&storyID=3229651

Mostly about WMP.

The EU executive said it was giving Microsoft a final chance to comment before it orders it to share crucial server software codes with competitors such as Sun Microsystems Inc. and Oracle Corp. and forces changes to the way it offers its media player, to the likely benefit of Real Networks and Apple.

 

[Sayhey]

Let's just hope the EU has more guts than the Ashcroft Justice Department. Actually, in Ashcroft's case it was less about courage to enforce the law and more about which side his bread was buttered on. Gates has been able to buy his way out of any but minor penalties; I'm not hopeful this won't be just another case when money talks and governments balk.

 

[Ambrose Chapel]

Yeah I'm sure this whole thing of M$ opening some of their source code up to some European governments is an attempt to stem the damage. Hopefully more of them go to Linux and thus undercut Bill's sway.

 

[Mudbug]

I didn't know there were antitrust laws in Europe - I learn something every day...

How does this happen? Does the EU conviene as a governing body and decide to do this as a group, or is there one national government as the spearhead, and the others follow along?

Please excuse my ignorance... I'm just trying to learn.

and they're spokesperson is "Tiffany"... that's just one of those names that doesn't instill much feeling of authority, or is it just me?

 

[caveman_uk]

Originally posted by Mudbug
I didn't know there were antitrust laws in Europe - I learn something every day...

How does this happen? Does the EU conviene as a governing body and decide to do this as a group, or is there one national government as the spearhead, and the others follow along?

Please excuse my ignorance... I'm just trying to learn.

It's done by the EU commission which I have to admit I don't fully understand but AFAIK has nominated persons from each of the union countries on it. It's unelected but deals mostly with trade laws and trading disputes between EU members. The EU parliament is the elected body of the EU (which makes European Laws which then have to be enacted by member states own governments) and there's the European court which in most areas is the highest legal authority in the EU - it's authority exceeds that of the members states own courts. It rules mostly on human rights and stuff like that.

Oh and the name was Tilman not Tiffany