EU fines Microsoft record $1.4bn

[Syzygys]

Fair, unfair?

Should Apple also be fined for bundling iTunes for free with macs?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7266629.stm

"Microsoft must now pay a record 899m euros ($1.4bn; £680.9m) after it failed to comply with a 2004 ruling that it abused its dominant market position.
The ruling said that Microsoft was guilty of not providing key code (not actual source code) to rival software makers.
EU regulators said the firm was the first to break an EU anti-trust ruling.
The fines come on top of earlier fines of 280m euros imposed in July 2006, and of 497m euros in March 2004."

 

[shichimenshyo]

They can afford it =p

 

[Syzygys]

For those who technically not so advanced:

"It wasn't code they had to release, but protocol and interfacing specs. EU rules are that their rights end at the network interface and file format. No need to release the code, but they must tell fully and completely how the protocols work.

Basically the rule is: inside the box, MS owns rights. Outside the box is public.

That's a fair rule, as secret protocols and formats only serve as an artificial lock-in.... so if you have Windows PCs you could ONLY use Windows servers, and servers running OSX, Unix/Linux, or other non-MS software were unfairly disadvantaged.

They were ORDERED to release full and complete interoperability documentation and didn't. So court smacked them for contempt basically."

 

[Tiassa]

Should Apple also be fined for bundling iTunes for free with macs?

Maybe. Are they in contempt of an outstanding ruling?