[Wylug-discuss] Well done EU court people.

[Stephen Patterson]

On 17 Sep 07, Shaun Laughey (shaun at laughey.com) wrote:
> Hi fellow Wylug-ers,
> 
> I want to say for once I'm impressed that at least one law court has
> stood up to Microsoft. Anyways well done the EU people. Bet it's another
> 10 years before anything happens though. 

and here it is in text:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/17/microsoft_european_commission_verdict/

Microsoft has lost its appeal against European Commission charges of
anti-competitive behaviour.

Bo Vesterdorf the softly spoken retiring judge of the Court of First
Instance led the judges into the Luxembourg courtroom and invited
everyone to sit. He quickly and quietly delivered the verdict, stood and
led the judges out again some six minutes later.

The Court found that Microsoft had indeed failed to supply competitors
with sufficient information to allow servers to interoperate
effectively. It found Microsoft failed to show that these APIs were
intellectual property or that giving them away would have a negative
impact on its ability to innovate.

On the bundling of Windows Media Player with its operating system the
Court of First Instance again upheld the Commission's stance. It ruled
that Microsoft had not shown justification for bundling its Media Player
to original equipment manufacturers.

Following the original decision Microsoft had to agree to the imposition
of a trustee to oversee the company and check it was complying with
court demands. A short list was drawn up and Professor Neil Barrett
appointed. But the Court of First Instance ruled that this was an
obligation too far. Therefore the court annuled the imposition of a
trustee.

On the issue of the €497m fine the Court ruled that the Commission was
justified in "assessing the gravity and duration of the infringement and
did not err in setting the fine".

Microsoft has two months to appeal the decision based on a point of
law.®

-- 
Stephen Patterson :: steve at patter.mine.nu :: http://patter.mine.nu/
GPG: B416F0DE :: Jabber: patter at jabber.earth.li 
"Don't be silly, Minnie. Who'd be walking round these cliffs with a gas oven?"