“Microsoft Corp.’s failure to settle a five-year European Union antitrust case may set a precedent for deeper regulatory scrutiny of the company’s software development plans for everything from handheld computers to mobile phones,” Bloomberg reports.
Bloomberg reports., “‘There is a fundamental conflict that may not be solvable,’ said Mark Schechter, a Washington antitrust lawyer who negotiated a settlement with Microsoft as a Justice Department attorney in 1994 and who’s now with Howrey, Simon, Arnold & White. The company’s ‘business model is built on bundling new applications into their software. They’re probably very nervous about the notion that there will be ongoing regulatory oversight.'”
“The EU accuses Microsoft of abusing the near monopoly of its personal computer operating system, which powers about 95 percent of PCs, to stifle competition in markets for servers and music and video software. Talks between European Competition Commissioner Mario Monti and Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer broke off yesterday over how to address concerns in related probes,” Bloomberg reports. “Monti is telling Microsoft ‘in light of the past conduct, it is appropriate for us to fence you in,’ said Ernest Gellhorn, who teaches antitrust law at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia. ‘You did it on the browser; you did it on the Media Player and the servers. The next thing you are going to do is whatever next comes up, which appears to be video.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: “You did it on the browser; you did it on the Media Player and the servers. The next thing you are going to do is whatever next comes up, which appears to be video.” Amen. Nice to see the truth in print. Go EU.
