Considering the outcry on America's corporation ( Amazon, Starbuck, Google ) that avoid taxes or manipulating legal ruses that slash their tax liability, I would take the bet that any hint of grievance will be weighted heavily against Microsoft.
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Microsoft Prepares For a Huge EU Fine (maximum 10% of last year's revenues)
- Thread starter guit3457
- Start date
Considering the outcry on America's corporation ( Amazon, Starbuck, Google ) that avoid taxes or manipulating legal ruses that slash their tax liability, I would take the bet that any hint of grievance will be weighted heavily against Microsoft.
Why is it ridiculous? The 10% maximum is because they didn't comply with the previous ruling, not because of the anti-trust charges.
What ruling? The EU Commission isn't a Court.
My (technologically impaired) mother doesn't want to use Firefox or Chrome because she thinks "Internet explorer is the proper Internet". She is just one of millions of computer illiterate people who can't differentiate between browser, Internet and web.
phisheep
NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
It wasn't a ruling, you're right. It was a settlement that Microsoft voluntarily agreed to in order to avoid a ruling.
And they broke it.
BRocknRolla
Member
Slaps on wrists rarely lead to meaningful changes.
Right. So off to Court they go to enforce the settlement. I'll admit I have no freaking clue about how the EU level legal system works but I don't get what gives them the right to issue a fine now (Usually it's the domain of Courts). Surely this will be challenged? (I'm asking you because it says Barrister, so I know you can't be a US Lawyer and might know).
Isn't that part of the agreement anyway?
I mean or else the whole settlement is pointless to begin with.
That is not the issue here.
HollovVpo1nt
Banned
I support EU decisions in a lot of cases, but it seems as if they hold a grudge against MS.
My understanding is that they weren't directly preventing it but they didn't give the user the option to choose. When you walk into a store and buy a laptop or PC , almost everyone has Windows preinstalled and in the past it had Internet Explorer preinstalled. That's why they almost had/have a monopoly. That's what the first fine was for. EU said they should give people the choice to choose and MS agreed. Therefor you get the option to choose your browser when you start up Windows. The new fine seems to be because MS did break this agreement for some time.
Please correct me if i'm wrong.
It's also written way better by other posters in this thread so take your time to read them.
Seems like a pretty hefty fine and i wonder were the money the EU gets is going to.
According to this all fines go back into their budget. http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consumers/institutions_en.html
Sho_Nuff82
Member
I never understood how apple is exempt from these fines for iOS/OSX.
Thanks. Thought they would allocate the money to case related branches (anti-trust etc) but it seems go straight into their overall budget which then gets allocated to their 3 main priorities. So it's like a nice paycheck for them. Understandable that MS is going to fight this or at least is going to try to lower the fine.
Dreams-Visions
Member
They've been penalized several times by the EU.
Quite the expensive error.
Quite the expensive error.
Well the ball was set rolling on this by Opera who complained to the EU Commission back in 2007 stating that Microsoft were stifling competition. I guess until other companies start complaining then they have no case to answer to. To be fair with OSX there did used to be a selection of browsers on there although very hidden in the main Applications folder.
iOS is probably investingated now but OSX is such a small market that they'd need to do something egregious to get fined there.
AranhaHunter
Banned
Was a joke. They have over $60 Billion in cash.
KillerMan91
Member
Because like it has been said billion times in this thread iOS doesn't have monopoly position in smartphone market.
dragonelite
Member
Yo guys we should complain for cod they should force activision to install bf3 and halo(xbox) or killzone(ps) with cod because cod has monopoly....
Well, that amount is the total of past fines not this specific one. And the truth is that these practices give Microsoft enough market advantage and returns in spite of the amount of the corresponding fines that is just a case of "crime pays" scenario. Ten years is time enough to make the changes they previously agreed with.
phisheep
NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
That would have been part of the settlement agreement. So contractual.
Probably a wee bit more complicated than that, but that'll be the thrust of it. The settlement would have said something like: in order to avoid court leading to a fine of [up to legal maximum amount], we promise to take the following actions to stop being anticompetitive, and if we breach that we agree to pay the said fine of [up to legal maximum amount].
inHallways
Member
You better not drop the ball on this one Almunia... heh... 
Not this shit again!
500 million euros are unfortunately a tear drop in an ocean of euro debt. Posting from Portugal, and that amount wouldn't do a thing for our debt.
phisheep
NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
Yeah right. Just because you guys over there don't get to hear about the Commissions' findings against Dutch/German/French/British/Italian etc companies.
I think part of the problem is that to the individual, 500 million euros seems a fantastical amount of money because they have no perspective of the actual context of multi-billion (trillion?) dollar companies and governments. The other part is somewhat herp and a little bit derp.
Miles Quaritch
Member
Are there any examples of them issuing such high fines against Dutch, German, French, British or Italian companies?
fabricated backlash
Member
For example...
Im not a MS supporter or anything but being fined for something like this just seems kinda odd. Like the possibilities of laws like this are endless. What other crazy ignorant things can consumers not figure out on their own should we be fining for next?
Does ms need to have a pop up for every piece of software they make showing the competitors??
Does ms need to have a pop up for every piece of software they make showing the competitors??
The only European company in that list is Phillips. Rest are South Koreans. And fine is 1.9b combined for all of them. Not even close in terms of amount of fine discussed in here.
That's true. We Americans also do have some shitty situation when it comes to debt. It just passed 16 trillion dollars.
Hydrargyrus
Member
Oooooh god, that's a lot of money
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-10-1487_en.htm?locale=en
And you can browse this page to find all cases. Microsoft case is notable due to the relapsing practices of the company and refusal to act on the conditions agreed on a previous settlement with the European Commission.
See my edit for a fine of a French company that exceeds any individual MS fine I believe.
fabricated backlash
Member
Which makes this especially puzzling. MS knew that their practice wasn't condoned in the EU.
Guess they just wanted to push a bit further to see what they can get away with.
AppleSmack
Banned
Europeans really despise "job creators" I guess.
Are you being serious? Has Chavez dying got people angsty or something?
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