European Union threatens Microsoft with $4 million USD per day fine

[zekrahminator]

A while ago, the European Union said that to avoid gigantic lawsuits for making Windows Vista available, Microsoft would have to post the inner workings of it's operating system for the public. Microsoft claims that they did it, and hosts a 1,500 page document on their website. Unfortunately, the European Union doesn't think that it's enough. And so, they are giving Microsoft two choices. The first choice for Microsoft is to detail their documents a bit more thoroughly. Their second choice is to accept the $4 million USD a day fine.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[wazzledoozle]

Meh. Microsoft should just pull out of Europe unless they want to be forced to make Windows open source. If Europe wants a fair market so much, then they should fund their own European OS. (Boeing-Airbus etc.)

 

[Deleted member 3]

Europe should use Red flag Linux, see how America responds to that.

 

[MrW]

That would give Linux a major foot-hold, something Microsoft surely does not want. They'll do what they can to "comply" while not revealing as much as possible.

 

[anticlutch]

Meh. Microsoft should just pull out of Europe unless they want to be forced to make Windows open source. If Europe want a fair market so much, then they should fund their own European OS. (Boeing-Airbus etc.)

My thoughts exactly. In a free market nothing is fair, and it never will be because that's the whole point of it (as horrible as it may sound). If they want everything to be fair, the EU should just switch over to communism.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

That would give Linux a major foot-hold, something Microsoft surely does not want. They'll do what they can to "comply" while not revealing as much as possible.

Agreed, it's obvious that MS is not welcomed with open arms over there.

 

[wazzledoozle]

If Europe did fund their own OS, it would really help out *nix and hurt Microsoft. Win-Win.

 

[killatia]

like everyone else has said if euroupe wants an open-source os go to linux and not windows, i mean whats the point of forcing microsoft to be open-source when there are other options around.

 

[Completely Bonkers]

The "EU bureaucracy" is getting silly and losing the respect of Europeans!

 

[newtekie1]

The EU is as bad as the RIAA...

 

[MrW]

The EU is as bad as the RIAA...

Pretty bad... but not that bad.

 

[newtekie1]

Pretty bad... but not that bad.

I would have to disagree, I reached RIAA level of crazy when they started telling Microsoft what they could and couldn't name their products.

 

[Wile E]

This is ridiculous. It's called proprietary for a reason. Wake the F up, EU. If I were MS, I'd just tell them to blow me, and refuse to pay the fines.

 

[mikek75]

Just remember that a large proportion of "Europeans" are not European by choice.....don't tar us all with the same brush (as proved by every referendum). They do not speak in our name, in the same way that Bush doesn't speak for all Americans (thank God!)

 

[MrW]

I would have to disagree, I reached RIAA level of crazy when they started telling Microsoft what they could and couldn't name their products.

Agree to disagree Insignificant really, both are doing things that are far beyond unreasonable.

 

[Ketxxx]

Some interesting views, albeit extremely hypocritical. Your so-called "constitution" is no better. Overall it was unwise to post this topic as its inevitable a full scale flame war is in the making here.

Kudos to the two other people who have managed to come in here and not slam eachother.

 

[zekrahminator]

If it gets to that point, Ket, the lock button is in the "thread tools" menu, there's an "edit" button in all of your posts, and there's a very nice "infraction menu" under your avatar (aka my banstick). Basically, don't go there .

 

[Ketxxx]

Heh, its not me you have to worry about.

 

[Scavar]

It seems foolish for the EU to try and be so forceful about this. MS at least did something. If MS pulled out, it would hurt the EU for a long time before it would hurt anyone else, MS included. Eventually, uness the EU begged for mercy, or was able to actually get some other OS as its main and have it fully capable of completely working with everything need it to, then it might turn into some stupid world economy problem.

 

[Ketxxx]

It wouldnt really hurt the EU, the obvious alternative would be Linspire. Think of Linspire like an EU version of Windows.

 

[anticlutch]

It wouldnt really hurt the EU, the obvious alternative would be Linspire. Think of Linspire like an EU version of Windows.

What about the non tech-savvy people though (a large percentage of the world)? They would be the group that gets hit the hardest...

 

[Ketxxx]

Nah, Linspire is pretty well known and it would be a fast turnaround from Windows to Linspire. In fact, Linspire would be at the EU doors ready and waiting before Windows even left the building (so to speak)

 

[GLD]

Rreaking Fetards I swear. :shadedshu

 

[jocksteeluk]

nah the EU is doing this for our benefit, i think the issue of the Us companies trying to end net neutrality is a far more an important issue than Microsoft getting sued.


if you haven't signed this yet id suggest you do: http://www.savetheinternet.com/

 

[kakazza]

I want the 1500 page document, where is it?