Microsoft Hit With 280m Euro Fine

Craig Mason writes "The BBC Reports that "Microsoft has been fined 280.5m euros ($357m; £194m) by the European Commission for failing to comply with an anti-competition ruling. The software giant was hit by the fine following a long-running dispute between the US firm and EU regulators. The move follows a landmark EU ruling in 2004, which ordered Microsoft to provide rivals with information about its Windows operating system. EU regulators also warned Microsoft it could face new fines of 3m euros a day.""

So what?

[8127972]

1. 280 million Euros is a drop in the bucket for M$.
2. They will delay, stall, and avoid paying for as long as possible.
3. When #2 fails, they will magically announce that they are in compliance.
4. ?????
5. Profit!

Most of the fine

[Anonymous Coward]

... is earmarked for spending on chair-proof windows ;)

Credit rating?

[MarkByers]

just imagine what such an action would do to their credit rating

Ohhh I never thought of that. It will be a really huge problem for Microsoft if they ever need to purchase some new company cars but the bank won't loan them the money...

How will they cope?

Re:They're claiming it's a "clarity" problem?

[zotz]

[But before we all bash them too too hard -- where, again, are the usable Linux desktops that we'd like to have to replace Windows???]

On my computers?

all the best,

drew
(da idea man)

Re:So what?

[chiskop]

Unforunately, it's more like:

1. Profit!
2. 280 million Euros is a drop in the bucket for M$.
3. Profit!
4. They will delay, stall, and avoid paying for as long as possible.
5. Profit!
6. When #4 fails, they will magically announce that they are in compliance.
7. Profit!
8. ?????
9. Profit!

Re:Easy

[oneandoneis2]

Stopping MS selling anything new in Europe wouldn't disable any of the current MS installations - They could sanction MS without hurting themselves much.

I think it'd be more poetic if they just revoked MS's copyrights and declared Windows "freeware", tho - chairs would wind up hurled into orbit when that one got announced ;o)

Re:Worrying thought...

[Lord Kano]

How many cigarettes do you think you could get for selling the ass-virginity of a Microsoft Europe exec in prison?

LK

Re:Enough is enough

[Oersoep]

The OSS community would gain an army of slow working non-documenting bug writing members.

Re:Market cap means little

[Thorsten Timberlake]

Would you have swapped the US for metropolitan Tokyo?

Well... The japanese are a bit weird... But yes, definetely :P

Re:Erh... something runs wrong here.

[Andrewkov]

They should fine Microsoft 640 million, that should be enough for anyone.

Re:The Trial of Bill Gates

[Phillup]

"Are we to understand," asked the judge, "that you hold your own interests above the interests of the public?"
"I hold that such a question can never arise except in a society of cannibals."

"Well," said the judge, "that solves our lunch problem. Let's see who we'll be eating for dinner..."

"NEXT!"

Wouldn't be the first time Bill got "hit" in EU...

[The_REAL_DZA]

There was this [google.com] little incident in Europe's "capital", Brussels, about eight years ago...I still get the giggles when I think about it.

Re:Worrying thought...

[Azeron]

Convicting someone of being a *oh horrible* monopolist is like convicting Tyra Banks of being "too good looking", thus must not be allowed to wear make or the latest fashions because is unfair to the morbidly obesse who could only make a living strutting themselves on the catwalk if you get rid of all the pretty girls.

Rediculous example? Not really. Being a monopolist is just as subjective and rediculous as being "too pretty" in a world where you can download a free OS with all the bells and whistles right off the internet at any time. Sure MS plays rough, but if you want to be able to compete against competitors like linux (various distros) who give away thier work for free, you are not going to pull any punches. Nothing MS has done warrents Millions of dollars in fines, because all they have done is "out compete" the competition. It is not like they shot someone, or engaged in any crimiinal activity. And before you say something is illegal = something being criminal, get a clue. If MS was charged with a crime, they would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Instead they were charged with violating an civil law, which is just perponderennce of the evidence.

If you think that for a moment, that the US government is going to idly stand by while Europe invalidates MS's copyrights in Europe, you have another thing coming. You could see the US invalidating every single european copyright in the US, which would destroy the European Software industry.

But if it really comes to blows, the US would not have to fire a shot. Just cut off the oil spigot and europe will have to surrender. likewise we could just just all trade between Europe and the rest of the world since we control the world's oceans.

So much for europe's third way.