Europe is mad at MS over Vista Vista News Discuss Europe is mad at MS over Vista in the Windows Vista forums; The European Commission has warned Microsoft it could face further penalties over what it calls "unreasonable pricing" of interoperability information. Microsoft was ordered to make details of its ...

[Snuffy]

The European Commission has warned Microsoft it could face further penalties over what it calls "unreasonable pricing" of interoperability information. Microsoft was ordered to make details of its protocols available to rivals when it was found guilty of anti-competitive behaviour in 2004. Today, the commission sent Microsoft a "statement of objections" detailing exactly why it thinks the software firm is charging too much for access to its protocols. In the statement, Commissioner Neelie Kroes argues that the firm agreed the cost of access to its protocols should be determined by how innovative they are. Now the EC says the protocols are not innovative enough to justify the prices Microsoft is charging
is over ahahaha LMAO

[Seansmit17]

I new this was coming.. theres a petition on the goverment webiste here in the uk to get the price sorted as its just not fair.. $379 = £250 (approx) but in reality its £369 and thats for the Ultimate Retail Version.. so we pay £119 MORE that the ppl in the US do.... M$ ARE TAKING THE PISS!

[Snuffy]

Maybe EU should chat with China, and see the deals they worked out for Vista... google will translate the blogs and web pages...

[Znod]

Originally Posted by Seansmit17

I new this was coming.. theres a petition on the goverment webiste here in the uk to get the price sorted as its just not fair.. $379 = £250 (approx) but in reality its £369 and thats for the Ultimate Retail Version.. so we pay £119 MORE that the ppl in the US do.... M$ ARE TAKING THE PISS!

Hi Sean:

Not wanting to argue, but I find the large European cities to be more expensive than those in the US. like for like, on pretty much all dimensions and, of course, allowing for exchange rates.

[Snuffy]

Microsoft warned of more EU fines
Microsoft XP
Microsoft and Brussels are locked in a war of words
The European Commission has warned Microsoft that it could face further fines for failing to comply with its anti-trust rulings.

Brussels criticised the software giant for not changing its behaviour since it was fined 497m euros (£331m) in 2004.

In an escalation of its long-running battle with the US firm, Brussels said Microsoft had been seeking unreasonable prices from competitors for key data.

In response, Microsoft said the threat of further fines was unreasonable.

Attitude

"In the 50 years of European antitrust policy, it's the first time we've been confronted with a company that has failed to comply with an antitrust decision," a Commission spokesman said.


EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes
Microsoft is a company not used to losing
Neelie Kroes, EU Competition Commissioner

The EU has sought to force Microsoft to disclose information that will allow other companies to make sure their software works properly with Microsoft's operating systems.

The latest move comes after the Commission not only fined the firm, but also ordered it to make a version of Windows available without Media Player software.

After its latest rebuke, Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said she was "not used to dealing with companies who drag their feet as Microsoft is doing".

"Microsoft is a company not used to losing."

But the firm said: "It is hard to see how the Commission can argue that even patented innovation must be made available for free."

Last year, Microsoft was told to pay daily fines adding up to 280.5 million euros over a six-month period, after it failed to adhere to the 2004 ruling.


Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6408391.stm

Nicholas-c