Microsoft Fined $731 Million By European Commission Over Web Browser

tafreehm

tafreehm

Well-known member
Microsoft has been fined 561m euros ($731m; £484m) for failing to promote a range of web browsers, rather than just Internet Explorer, to users in the European Union (EU).

What do you guys say about that ?
 
Microsoft Fined $7.31 By European Commission Over Web Browser

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Companies like Microsoft are large enough that 731 Million is like lunch money to them.... The damage done is done and their goal overall was achieved. That 731 Million is just a business expense they'll right off.

If you really wanted to punish them..... Tell them that they can't ship Internet Explorer and can't restrict or limit their products and services to Internet Explorer, which would normally force or persuade people to install it anyways.

That would have been true justice.
 
Adam Howard said:
Microsoft Fined $7.31 By European Commission Over Web Browser

^ Fixed. ^

Companies like Microsoft are large enough that 731 Million is like lunch money to them.... The damage done is done and their goal overall was achieved. That 731 Million is just a business expense they'll right off.

If you really wanted to punish them..... Tell them that they can't ship Internet Explorer and can't restrict or limit their products and services to Internet Explorer, which would normally force or persuade people to install it anyways.

That would have been true justice.
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I suppose you could always ship Browser CDs...

The easiest way is to ship a browser, but potentially limit its functionality.
 
Biker said:
My take is the EU thinks users there are too stupid to choose and download their browser of choice on their own.
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There are a lot of people out there that aren't aware of other browsers, or just don't install them because they already have something.
 
Why buy Microsoft Windows if you don't want.......

It is silly. They shouldn't be forced to give people a choice. People can make it on their own accord.
 
I really don't have a problem with Internet Explorer coming with Windows, I'd wish it was optional but I can just simply get another browser. Why is it obligatory for them to provide such tool if you're free to go and get another one, and you don't see this being applied to OS X either. It just seems weird law.
 
Lucas said:
I really don't have a problem with Internet Explorer coming with Windows, I'd wish it was optional but I can just simply get another browser. Why is it obligatory for them to provide such tool if you're free to go and get another one, and you don't see this being applied to OS X either. It just seems weird law.
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I agree.
Why should Microsoft have to provide a choice of browsers, when other Operating Systems don't?
Once that lawsuit with the EU and Microsoft was over, I was sure that it was a new EU law that applied to all OS developers.
Apparently not!
 
Fufu said:
I agree.
Why should Microsoft have to provide a choice of browsers, when other Operating Systems don't?
Once that lawsuit with the EU and Microsoft was over, I was sure that it was a new EU law that applied to all OS developers.
Apparently not!
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It's down to their market dominance, i.e. the fact that Microsoft has a virtual monopoly when it comes to PC operating systems, running on over 95% of PCs, which in turn gives them an unfair advantage in the browser market by bundling IE with windows and thus reduces competition, which in turn is bad for both the future development of browsers and the end-user.

Although, TBF, the ruling perhaps makes less sense since Chrome was launched and has grown over the years, according to many stats, into the most popular browser, but remember this case dates back to 2007 when IE was the dominant browser, not because it was the best, but simply because it was bundled with windows.

The EU does plenty of stupid things, but I think they got it right on this one.
 
DoctorWatsOn said:
It's down to their market dominance, i.e. the fact that Microsoft has a virtual monopoly when it comes to PC operating systems, running on over 95% of PCs, which in turn gives them an unfair advantage in the browser market by bundling IE with windows and thus reduces competition, which in turn is bad for both the future development of browsers and the end-user.

Although, TBF, the ruling perhaps makes less sense since Chrome was launched and has grown over the years, according to many stats, into the most popular browser, but remember this case dates back to 2007 when IE was the dominant browser, not because it was the best, but simply because it was bundled with windows.

The EU does plenty of stupid things, but I think they got it right on this one.
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The implementation sucks. It's not feasible. I can picture Microsoft getting sued by dozens of money-trolls all on the premise that their browsers were not being integrated into that selection process.
 
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