Microsoft turns to U.S. for EU Antitrust Help

An anonymous reader writes "The NY times reports that Microsoft has asked U.S. goverment officials to intervene on their behalf in the EU antitrust case. The US (through diplomatic channels) has asked the court to be 'fair'." From the article: "Microsoft has complained frequently in recent months that it has been denied the right to a fair defense in the continuing antitrust case with the European Commission. It has also accused the commission of collaborating with its rivals in the software industry and denying it access to what it contends are vital documents it needs to prepare its defense. A memo written by unidentified government officials in Washington stated that Microsoft's complaints raise 'substantial concerns' about the way Microsoft is being treated, according to a person close to the commission who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the memo."

Re:Old news already

[tolan-b]

Shit djupedal, at least try to read the story.

This has nothing to do with the judges decision, this is about US diplomats not judges.

Try RTA..

[3.5 stripes]

It has 0 to do with the court decision, this is microsoft going through diplomatic channels, asking the EU court (not the US court) to be fair to microsoft.

Took out the F, because I don't see the need to be rude..

In other news....

[Anonymous Coward]

Several country's ambassadors have written to the US State Department to complain that their citizens are not being treated 'fairly' in Guantanamo Bay.

The State Depatement replied that they will be sure to return the bodies if they can find all the bits.

Re:Why?!

[malkavian]

Actually, it goes more like:
US company comes into EU, gets treated nicely.
Said company breaks laws in EU, gets taken to court (anti trust).
Company gets upset that people have told it that it's being naughty, asks US to back it up, because it's not fair, people are picking on it.
US tells company to grow up and deal with it like everyone else.

Re:Run as fast as you can, you can't catch me...

[Anonymous Coward]

EU is not playing unfairly.The only things they did is communicate the MS document about the interoperability to the competitors to check that the documentation was enough to be useful by other parties to communicate with MS windows without problems.The competitors told no, the documents are so bad that you can't understand anything, as the expert nominate by MS itself said.

One expensive memo

[mflorell]

Since they started dumping money into political campaigns and hired their own lobbying group about ten years ago Microsoft has become one of the most generous contributors to politicians in the country:


LXer: How Microsoft wastes its money on anything but software
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/55497/index.h tml [lxer.com]


Election 2004: How to Excel in DC
http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/0438/040922_news _microsoft.php [seattleweekly.com]


A Bug in Windows GOP (Seattle Weekly)
http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/0522/050601_news _microsoft.php [seattleweekly.com]


Microsoft And The G.O.P.: Antitrust Insurance?
http://www.time.com/time/reports/gatesbook/lobbyin g.html [time.com]


Microsoft's lobbying efforts eclipse Enron
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-835267.html [zdnet.com]


Redmond | Feature Article: Following Microsoft's Money
http://redmondmag.com/features/article.asp?Editori alsID=440 [redmondmag.com]


News Alert 9/6/01: Microsoft
http://www.opensecrets.org/alerts/v6/alertv6_26.as p [opensecrets.org]


Commentary: It's Back to Charm School for Microsoft
http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_45/b3654183.ht m [businessweek.com]


"The Think Tank As Flack" by David Callahan
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/1999/991 1.callahan.think.html [washingtonmonthly.com]

Neelie will not give in under pressure

[Nyh]

The EU competition commissioner, Neelie Smit-Kroes, will not give in under pressure. She was responsible for bringing down the Dutch coalition government Lubbers II. She had proposed to abolish tax dedution for over 10 km daily commuting. Het own party couldn't agree. She held her ground resulting in the end of the coalition.

I think Microsoft knows by know she will not give in so they are trying other ways to get it's own way. She will be fair. She will make Microsoft to do what she told them to do. And it is clear Microsoft doesn't like that at all.

Nyh

Re:Mummy, mummy, bad people try to scare me

[SirGeek]

It's fair for the EU to ask for documentation, but every attempt by MS to give them anything has resulted in the EU throwing it away. At the moment, it looks like the EU have already decided to fine MS no matter what they do, which isn't fair even for a company with a bad history.

Microsoft is doing anything and everything to NOT obey the courts order. They are supplying half-assed documentation that the oversite expert ( suggsted by Microsoft ) says the document is useless. They haven't done the "unbundling" that they were ordered to do either.