1.4bn fine for Microsoft, record for EU
By Erna Mahyuni
The EU seems unpleased with Microsoft at the moment. Proof? How about that record $1.4bn fine it just imposed on the world’s largest software company?
According to the BBC, EU regulators say Microsoft is the first firm to defy an EU anti-trust ruling.
“Microsoft was the first company in 50 years of EU competition policy that the Commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an antitrust decision,” said Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in a statement.
Not too long ago the EU found Microsoft guilty of unfairly shutting out its competitors. The EU decided that Microsoft should begin releasing key Windows code to its competitors or face fines. The anti-trust ruling said that Microsoft was guilty of not providing key code to rival software makers.
Not that the EU hasn’t been fining Microsoft for their non-compliance. In March 2004, they slapped a 497m euro fine. Then they imposed another 280m bill in July 2006. I guess they’re hoping third time’s the charm for Microsoft to comply.
Microsoft has been making some overtures towards more openness and interoperability. Problem is, the EU finds Microsoft’s ‘progress’ too slow for their liking and are still pursuing other anti-trust investigations against the firm.
Is the fine justifiable? In all likelihood, Microsoft will protest the sum but the EU might attempt to portray it as a more suitable deterrent, seeing how its first two fines hadn’t worked as intended. The EU probably wants to send out a message - no one flouts an anti-trust ruling, not even the biggest software company on Earth.
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Read more entries by Erna Mahyuni.
February 27th, 2008
Every year a new a larger fine for non-compliance.
The EU needs hit MS with a cool 20bn, before they take any notice.
March 30th, 2008
Microsoft, the big bully on the block, “doesn’t play well with others”. Finally a bigger kid on the next block who just isn’t going to take it. Maybe smaller programmers and open source people will have a better chance at squeaking out a meager living from their crafts once someone stops piggy Microsoft from stuffing it’s face with all the goodies..
March 31st, 2008
as much as I haaate microsoft with a passion, I reject anti-trust rulings like this from an objectivism stand point. A man is entitled to the sweat of his brow.