EU Taunts Microsoft a Sixth Time
by John Paczkowski
Posted on January 16, 2009 at 11:53 AM PT
Fewer than 60 percent of Europeans browse the Web with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, according to Web measurement outfit XiTi Monitor (about 31 percent use Mozilla’s Firefox). So it’s understandable that Microsoft (MSFT) would try to bolster that figure a bit by bundling IE with its popular Windows operating system abroad.
It’s also apparently illegal. In a Statement of Objections, European antitrust regulators this week notified Microsoft that its “preliminary view” is that the bundling of IE with Windows violates European competition law. Seems the EU feels that it prevents other browsers from competing fairly in the market.
Microsoft, which has been slugging it out with the EU–apparently since the beginning of time–is reviewing its objections. “We are committed to conducting our business in full compliance with European law,” the software giant said in a statement. “We are studying the Statement of Objections now. Under European competition law procedure, Microsoft will be afforded an opportunity to respond in writing to this Statement of Objections within about two months. The company is also afforded an opportunity to request a hearing, which would take place after the submission of this response. Under EU procedure, the European Commission will not make a final determination until after it receives and assesses Microsoft’s response and conducts the hearing, should Microsoft request one.”
PREVIOUSLY:
- European Commission Announces Microsoft Antitrust Fine Ultimate Edition™
- EC on Microsoft Interoperability Declaration: Is It April Fools’ Day Already?
- Funny, I Didn’t See ‘Windows Protocol Documentation’ in the Microsoft Holiday Gift Guide
- Opera Asks EU to Make IE Stink Less
Comments
I’ve been a long-time antitrust critic of Microsoft, but even I have a hard time understanding what the EU is doing here. http://glennm.posterous.com/di.....and-what-t. Since IE is no longer dominant and because it is almost impossible to conceive that any competition authority would compel a browser-maker to follow IETF or any other open standards, where’s there even a potential violation? These Statements of Objection are secret, so perhaps there’s some Opera-specific exclusionary conduct involved, but otherwise D.G. Comp. seems to be way off the reservation this time — about a decade too late, I would say.
Posted by Glenn Manishin at January 16th, 2009 at 2:07 pmBy the way, _excellent_ headline, John!!
Posted by Glenn Manishin at January 16th, 2009 at 2:08 pmNot knowing much at all about anti-trust laws, my understanding is that in the US there’s no problem with being a monopoly. Monopolies are legal. But, using that monopoly power to manipulate your way into other markets, that’s illegal. Windows is the monopoly. Web browsers is what they’re using that monopoly to manipulate their way into? If that’s what it would be in the US, I’m guessing it’s the same in the EU?
Posted by Levander Thomas at January 18th, 2009 at 3:36 pm