Microsoft hit by huge EU fine

freddie · 12-07-2006, 18:49

That's what happens when a monopoly taking all the advantages common-law systems have to offer encounters a semi-continental legal system and especially European institutions which are by default terribly allergic of any monopoly and/or cartel tendencies among huge multinationals. Some people will probably suggest this is a witch hunt against the most successful US company. Those people would be wrong. The EU commission is ruthless when it comes to providing all companies with equal opportunities through the wonderful concept of free market. A while back Volkswagen, a proverbial fortress of Euro economy was ordered to pay almost a billion dollars when found guilty of breaching free-trade practices.

QueenBee · 12-07-2006, 19:21

Please excuse me when I say... hahahahahhahaa

Rachel · 12-07-2006, 19:35

As much as I dislike Microsoft as much as the next person, business is business. You gotta praise how smart and crafty they are!

And btw, that fine is laughable. That is pocket money to them.

rosh · 12-07-2006, 19:40

im sure they will stave off this paltry little fine [haha] with more and more delay tactics and even more appeals to however many more eu courts they can find to appeal to.

freddie · 12-07-2006, 20:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rachel

As much as I dislike Microsoft as much as the next person, business is business. You gotta praise how smart and crafty they are!

One thing's being smart and crafty and quite another when you're enforcing your semi-defective product on consumers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rachel

And btw, that fine is laughable. That is pocket money to them.

That's true, but it'll probably show the way to many other corporate law suits against the company. A few $10 billion dollar payments would make them much more eager to comply at least.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosh

im sure they will stave off this paltry little fine [haha] with more and more delay tactics and even more appeals to however many more eu courts they can find to appeal to.

This time they'll comply. They have much more to lose with stalling. EU institutions have limited amounts of legal means of complaints anyway. And as was said $350 million is a laughable amount for them. The Commission was pretty lenient anyway - they could have easily order them to pay half the worth of the entire company if they wanted to. Which would affectively drive them out of the EU market if they wanted to survive.