Just last week Microsoft was hit by a €561 million euros ($731 million; conversion rate: $1 = €0.7677) fine for breaking an EU antitrust regulator. Back in 2009, the EU set up an investigation stating that Microsoft was creating unfair advantages when it came to their web browser.
When installing a new version of Windows 8, for example, the preinstalled web browser is Internet Explorer 10. The EU believes that customers should have the option to install an alternative web browser when installing Windows. To settle the antitrust case Microsoft promised that it would offer its European customers a choice of a competitor web browser. The European Commission, which is a competition regulator across all of Europe, found that between May 2011 and July 2012 Microsoft had broken the trust.
Such an expensive fine relates to the amount of time that the trust was broken. This wouldn’t be the first time that Microsoft has had to give money to the EU for these acts. In fact Microsoft has paid the EU close to 1 billion dollars in fines for these issues.
Lawyers in the United States have also tried to force Microsoft to allow other alternative browsers when installing Windows. The long expensive court cases came to a close as a judge stated that it’s Microsoft’s Operation System, and they should have 100% control of what is installed.
My opinion lies with the decison of the US judge. The fact that the EU would try to tell a company what to do with their product is beyond me. However, Microsoft is of one the top five richest companies so by the looks of things they don’t seem to mind the small fines.
5 Comments
How come apple does not have to pay that money, considering that safari has an unfair (much bigger) advantage over other browsers in their OS?
Were can i find free video card software for windows 7
Any one out there
@Jermey What type of software are you looking for?
@sds The EU doesn’t both with Apple as they feel like they would fight it or simply say that the Chrome app is available for download.
that’s where all the money goes when you buy a pc and don’t get a windows cd with it just in case you have to repair your pc. instead you have to either buy one or contact Microsoft and one of there tech. will charge you $$$$$ to repair your pc either online or buy shipping it to there repair shop and then they have the nerve to charge you for a new windows cd.
($731 million) sad.