Microsoft sentenced to pay a record fine for misusing its monopoly! (?)

durandaldurandal
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Just found this on n-tv.de / cnn.de (n-tv is a german partner of CNN):



"Kartellstreit: EU belegt Softwarekonzern Microsoft mit Rekord-Bußgeld von 497 Millionen Euro"



This translates into "EU sentences software company Microsoft to pay a record fine of 497 Million Euros".



I'm not sure if this is true, originally it was said that the EU would announce the sentence only on wednesday.



Anyway, 497 Million Euros, that would be more than 610,000,000 US-$! The whole case is about Microsoft misusing it's monopoly to market it's own Media Player technology by bundling it with Windows (or rather by not selling a Windows distribution without the Media Player).



greetz,

durandal

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    dmband0026dmband0026 Posts: 2,345member
    First of all, that'll never hold up. MS will appeal and won't pay even half that. It's the way the legal system works.

    And this is more of a General Discussion topic, it's tech related.
  • Reply 2 of 15
    formerlurkerformerlurker Posts: 2,686member
    just saw the story here

    http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackage...3&section=news



    reading now...
  • Reply 3 of 15
    formerlurkerformerlurker Posts: 2,686member
    Nothing really new there except the actual amount of the fine.
  • Reply 4 of 15
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DMBand0026

    First of all, that'll never hold up. MS will appeal and won't pay even half that. It's the way the legal system works.

    And this is more of a General Discussion topic, it's tech related.



    Right
  • Reply 5 of 15
    homhom Posts: 1,098member
    Monetary fines mean nothing to MS. The only punishment would be to force MS to un-bundle all software from Windows. No Word, Excel, Media Player, Solitare, all of it. Similarly MS would be prevented from offering a customer like HP or Dell a bundle of any kind. You want Word, you pay full price.
  • Reply 6 of 15
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    In that article they state MSFT has 50 bill in the bank. Ummm yeah. They've actually probably done more damage than even 50 billion but that wouldn't be realistic to fine them 100 billion dollars. I think it would be fair for the EU to fine them around 3.5, the maximum allowed. The US should have fined them much more. Instead we gave them predatory pricing of being able to give out software in schools. Yay! Let's hope the EU's "punishment" isn't having free copies of MSFT crap for governments and schools in the EU. Will no one step up to stop this juggernaut? China may be our last hope. Um go Red Linux!
  • Reply 7 of 15
    agent302agent302 Posts: 974member
    I'd hate to be picky and all, but doesn't Apple bundle Quicktime with OS X. Isn't Quicktime inseparable from the operating system?



    I agree that Microsoft makes crappy software and it pains me whenever I'm forced to use Windows, but think about this for a second.
  • Reply 8 of 15
    quagmirequagmire Posts: 558member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by agent302

    I'd hate to be picky and all, but doesn't Apple bundle Quicktime with OS X. Isn't Quicktime inseparable from the operating system?



    I agree that Microsoft makes crappy software and it pains me whenever I'm forced to use Windows, but think about this for a second.





    One were talking about that windows doesn't come with windows media player. Thats why there paying a fine. I hope there forced to because Gates will lose some of his money.
  • Reply 9 of 15
    cubedudecubedude Posts: 1,556member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by agent302

    I'd hate to be picky and all, but doesn't Apple bundle Quicktime with OS X. Isn't Quicktime inseparable from the operating system?



    I agree that Microsoft makes crappy software and it pains me whenever I'm forced to use Windows, but think about this for a second.



    That doesn't mean you have to use Quicktime. You can use any format that's playable on a Mac. Same with all the other software, even the Finder.
  • Reply 10 of 15
    dmband0026dmband0026 Posts: 2,345member
    Oh geez...can a mod edit the title of this one please? I just noticed that it says, "Microsoft sentenced to pay a record-fine for misusing it's monopoly! (?)" "...for misusing it's (meaning IT IS) monopoly!..."



    Sorry, but that bothers the crap out of me.

    This is simple English grammar here people!
  • Reply 11 of 15
    faydrauthafaydrautha Posts: 127member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by quagmire

    One were talking about that windows doesn't come with windows media player. Thats why there paying a fine. I hope there forced to because Gates will lose some of his money.



    Windows is packaged with Windows Media Player (which sucks). And that along with all of the other little bits of software they package with windows to bog it down are getting them in trouble.



    And I just read that the fine would be about $614 million dollars



    Record Fine for Microsoft
  • Reply 12 of 15
    spotcatbugspotcatbug Posts: 195member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by agent302

    I'd hate to be picky and all, but doesn't Apple bundle Quicktime with OS X. Isn't Quicktime inseparable from the operating system?



    I agree that Microsoft makes crappy software and it pains me whenever I'm forced to use Windows, but think about this for a second.



    The difference is, Apple isn't a monopoly. You don't have to worry about your seemingly monopolistic practices when you're not a monopoly. That is, it's OK to do the things MS has done, as long as you aren't a monopoly. That's why the first thing that had to be determined in the MS lawsuit(s) was whether or not they were a monopoly. If it had gone differently, and they hadn't been found to be a monopoly, nothing more would have happened.



    Also, a little side note: it isn't illegal to simply be a monopoly. You only get into trouble when you abuse your monopoly power.
  • Reply 13 of 15
    durandaldurandal Posts: 277member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DMBand0026

    Oh geez...can a mod edit the title of this one please? I just noticed that it says, "Microsoft sentenced to pay a record-fine for misusing it's monopoly! (?)" "...for misusing it's (meaning IT IS) monopoly!..."



    Sorry, but that bothers the crap out of me.

    This is simple English grammar here people!



    Does it have to be "its"? Well, I'm sorry - it might be simple English grammar, but English ain't my native language...



    greetz (from Germany)

    durandal
  • Reply 14 of 15
    ipodandimacipodandimac Posts: 3,273member
    time to bust out my monopoly pic again



  • Reply 15 of 15
    durandaldurandal Posts: 277member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ipodandimac

    time to bust out my monopoly pic again



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