Europe ready to charge Microsoft over browser choice, eyes Google action
Summary: Europe's competition chief has said the European Commission is preparing to charge Microsoft over its failure to offer some Windows 7 users a choice of browser, and may begin formal antitrust proceedings against Google too.
The European Commission has reiterated plans to turn the thumbscrews on both Microsoft and Google over antitrust concerns.
European antitrust commissioner Joaquín Almunia said in a speech on Thursday in Warsaw that both "world brands" were in the Commission's sights – Microsoft over its failure to properly offer users a choice of browser, Google over its fears it "had used its dominance in online search to foreclose advertisers and rivals".
"When it comes to implementing competition law, a good authority must be blind to where the headquarters of a firm are located or how much influence it has on world markets. This is crucial if we are serious about protecting the interests of all European citizens, and I imagine it is also quite reassuring for investors to know that we treat all companies alike.
"In the past, we have taken on companies such as Microsoft. To meet one of our concerns, the company pledged to let consumers choose which web browser they would use with its Windows operating system. By its own admission, Microsoft has failed to keep its promise. I take compliance very seriously and we are now considering the next steps," Alumnia said.
Microsoft began giving users purchasing new Windows machines a choice of which browser to use back in 2010 following an earlier settlement with the Commission. However, earlier this year, it admitted that a significant number of Windows 7 SP1 users hadn't been given the option to select a browser other than IE.
Charges
Alumnia told Reuters that the Commission is now preparing to charge Microsoft. "It should not be a long investigation because the company itself explicitly recognised its breach of the agreement," he told the news agency.
If found guilty, the Commission could fine Microsoft up to 10 percent of its annual turnover – a matter of several billion euros.
The Commission is also considering formal proceeding against Google.
"Two years ago we have also opened an investigation against Google – another world brand – on concerns that it had used its dominance in online search to foreclose advertisers and rivals.
"We are discussing with the company to see whether we can solve this case with effective commitments in the interest of users. Otherwise, we will need to pursue formal proceedings," Alumnia said.
The European Commission launched an antitrust investigation in 2010 against the company over allegations that the search giant ranked its own services above those of competitors in its results pages.
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Talkback
Can we charge . . .
No
A breach of an agreement is a breach of an agreement. It is about past actions, not about current conditions. Just pause for a moment and think a little bit before you blatantly expose yourself.
Does it include stupid EU apologists
I guess ...
And the rational behind the browser selection is?
That's how Europeans define competition?
I doubt you are open minded enough to benefit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_Microsoft_competition_case#Related_investigations
You, and many others here, could benefit from some reading on this issue.
Try a dose of common sense
2. Letting business winners win give them incentive to keep performing so that everyone can benefit from their products.
3. Punishing winners to help losers stay in the game gives winner less motive to excel and losers more excuse to cheat.
4. Such kinda "competition law" executed by EU is anti-competition indeed.
You just confirmed my suspicion
Thanks for playing
I thought you were ready to reason
I know I am wasting my time on you, but
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Oil
If you mean to argue that the vast majority of politicians and US courts (and economists I might add) over the past 100+ years have no clue, then that is your prerogative.
This is my last post on this issue.
@D.T.Long
Yes, I am arguing that
Also, my "stupidity" comment was as much about Google as Microsoft. Anyone who thinks antitrust actions against Google are appropriate is a moron.
In the Microsoft case, this is just a bunch of power-lusters trying to exert arbitrary power over a company because they can, in order to extract wealth from an entity that actually produces wealth, which nobody on the European Commission would be capable of if their life depended on it.
The lunatic fringe and the "truth"
Permitting an entity to extract monopoly rents beyond a reasonable period to allow rewards for risk taking, does NOT create wealth. It merely transfers wealth from one group to another. Wealth is created by improved productivity, which monopolies have no further incentives to pursue. Most of their activities will be spent protecting their established position.
Over time, your advocated solution would concentrate the available wealth in fewer and fewer hands, corruption would flourish and revolution and civil war would eventually ensue. That is the ultimate "survival of the fittest" society you seem to advocate, except the "fittest" would ultimately be killed, and the process would begin all over again until sanity somehow prevailed.
Instead of reading fringe writings, perhaps you should study some human history and psychology. It might do you some good.
You are:
Right on with your last post!
So the ends justify the means?
Microsoft was found to be leveraging one Monopoly to create another monopoly. Microsoft is trying to gain control over the internet, but forcing everyone to use IE. WP 8 desktop edition will make that evident. IE will run in "desktop" mode, while other browsers will be limited to "Metro" mode
Wow that was really wrong. MS is not trying to control the internet.
Youve got it backwards, or completely off...
I don't believe there is a Metro version of FF, but I could be wrong.
Either way, my alternate browser works swimmingly.
NO!
The ballot screen was Microsoft's Idea