Eu Fines Microsoft $731 Million For Failing To Offer Web Browsers

[News_Editor]

<p> EU fines Microsoft $731 million for failing to offer web browsers </p>< br />

<p>2013-03-07 19:48:28 GMT+7 (ICT) </p><br /> <p>BRUSSELS (BNO NEWS) -- The European Union (EU) on Wednesday imposed a â¬561 million ($731 million) fine on global software company Microsoft Corp. for failing to offer Windows users the option of choosing their preferred web browser when they install the operating system.<br /></p><br /><p>The sanction is in response to Microsoft's failure to comply with its 2009 commitments to offer Windows users a browser choice screen, enabling them to easily choose their preferred web browser. It is the first time the EU's executive arm had to fine a company for non-compliance with a commitments decision.<br /></p><br /><p>In Wednesday's decision, the European Commission found that Microsoft failed to roll out the browser choice screen with its Windows 7 Service Pack 1 from May 2011 until July 2012, and as a result, 15 million Windows users in the EU did not see the choice screen during this period. Microsoft has acknowledged that the choice screen was not displayed during that time.<br /></p><br /><p>"In 2009, we closed our investigation about a suspected abuse of dominant position by Microsoft due to the tying of Internet Explorer to Windows by accepting commitments offered by the company," said Joaquín Almunia, the European Commission Vice President in charge of competition policy. <br /></p><br /><p>In the calculation of the fine, the Commission took into account the gravity and duration of the infringement, the need to ensure a deterrent effect of the fine and, as a mitigating circumstance, the fact that Microsoft has cooperated with the Commission and provided information which helped the Commission to investigate the matter efficiently.<br /></p><br /><p>In theory, the commission could have fined Microsoft up to 10 percent of its total annual turnover.<br /></p><br /><p>The choice screen was provided as of March 2010 to European Windows users who have Internet Explorer set as their default web browser. While it was implemented, the choice screen was very successful with users. Until November 2010, 84 million browsers were downloaded through it. When the failure to comply was detected and documented in July 2012, the Commission opened an investigation and before taking a decision notified to Microsoft its formal objections in October 2012.<br /></p> <p>

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2013-03-07 </p>

[Khun Jean]

EU short in cash?

How are they going to enforce this? Sanctions?

People have choice and are not restricted to using a specific browser.

I would agree if microsoft made it difficult or impossible to download another browser, in Windows 8 there is even a chrome browser available on the 'market'. One clickaway!

Or go download Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc..

[jbrain]

So Bill reached in his back pocket and said, please keep the change.

[Potosi]

EU short in cash?

How are they going to enforce this? Sanctions?

People have choice and are not restricted to using a specific browser.

I would agree if microsoft made it difficult or impossible to download another browser, in Windows 8 there is even a chrome browser available on the 'market'. One clickaway!

Or go download Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc..

EU notifys the US government, there are all sorts of law-enforcement treaties between Europe and the US. If Microsoft doesn't cough up the money when it's due, the US government has to dispatch a bailiff to collect it. Last time MS was fined by the EU was in 2008, $1.4 billion, for anti-competitive business practises. At the same time, the US government fined Siemens $1.4 billion. The normal trade wars.

People who are knowledgable have a choice, for those who are not the EU demanded this from MS,

"In Wednesday's decision, the European Commission found that Microsoft failed to roll out the browser choice screen with its Windows 7 Service Pack 1 from May 2011 until July 2012, and as a result, 15 million Windows users in the EU did not see the choice screen during this period. Microsoft has acknowledged that the choice screen was not displayed during that time."

Seems easy enough a task. The EU commision is doing its job, protecting the consumer from bad products from bad corporations that don't believe in the free market.

[NeverSure]

Nanny fkn government. Does it think its people are too stupid to download firefox or chrome or opera or something? Do they want Bill Gates to personally come to their house and do it for them?

Just a hunch, but I suspect that the fine people of the EU can download firefox the same way the rest of us do and we DO have a choice. Somehow I managed to get firefox onto this computer without Bill Gates or the government coming to my house and doing it for me.

If the browsers cost money or weren't readily available, or if people were being charged for IE and then the system blocked the use of other browsers, I'd see the complaint.

The EU must be hard up for money.

[NeverSure]

EU short in cash?

How are they going to enforce this? Sanctions?

People have choice and are not restricted to using a specific browser.

I would agree if microsoft made it difficult or impossible to download another browser, in Windows 8 there is even a chrome browser available on the 'market'. One clickaway!

Or go download Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc..

EU notifys the US government, there are all sorts of law-enforcement treaties between Europe and the US. If Microsoft doesn't cough up the money when it's due, the US government has to dispatch a bailiff to collect it. Last time MS was fined by the EU was in 2008, $1.4 billion, for anti-competitive business practises. At the same time, the US government fined Siemens $1.4 billion. The normal trade wars.

People who are knowledgable have a choice, for those who are not the EU demanded this from MS,

"In Wednesday's decision, the European Commission found that Microsoft failed to roll out the browser choice screen with its Windows 7 Service Pack 1 from May 2011 until July 2012, and as a result, 15 million Windows users in the EU did not see the choice screen during this period. Microsoft has acknowledged that the choice screen was not displayed during that time."

Seems easy enough a task. The EU commision is doing its job, protecting the consumer from bad products from bad corporations that don't believe in the free market.

Why are the people in other areas of the world intelligent enough to download a choice of browsers, but those in the EU presumed to not be? This is the way it's always been. You install Windows, and then if you want another browser you download it and it's installation software asks you if you want to make it the default browser. I'd consider it an insult if the government presumed I couldn't download and install programs. If someone is too stupid to download a browser, then how is he going to use Windows at all?

What's next? Fine them for not offering a screen to choose anti-virus programs instead of Windows Defender? Another screen for Irfanview etc. instead of Windows Image viewer? What do the helpless people open a PDF with? Where's the fkn screen to let me choose a video player instead of Windows Media Player?

Why pick on IE instead of Windows .zip opener?

This has to be a joke.

[jamhar]

Why does this remind me of an international version of a Thai road stop for speeding?

[chuckd]

So 15 million EU residents are not smart enough to download other browsers?

I know nothing about computers except they make nice anchors and I was able to download several other browsers.

That makes me smarter than at least 15 million Europeans?

This is simply legalized robbery.

[Khun Jean]

And why not demand that a car company offers other brand name radios.

TV's with alternative remotes.

Apple phones with iTunes alternative.

Printers that accept multiple brands of ink.

The list is endless.

Why single out Microsoft? Because they have deep pockets?

Thieves always like to target those.

*edited out* Windows 8 , Windows 8

If above change into links, it was not me!

Edited March 7, 2013 by Scott

[jbrain]

And why not demand that a car company offers other brand name radios.

TV's with alternative remotes.

Apple phones with iTunes alternative.

Printers that accept multiple brands of ink.

The list is endless.

Why single out Microsoft? Because they have deep pockets?

Thieves always like to target those.

*edited out* Windows 8 , Windows 8

If above change into links, it was not me!

Apple phones with iTunes alternative.

This one is exactly the nail on he head. Apple is restricting ever since the exist which program you can install on the computer you paid your hard earned money for.

They simply say , you are not allowed to do this or that with your own computer. But I don't see lawsuits about that .