EU Launches New Microsoft Investigation

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates delivers a keynote speech during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) at the Venetian hotel and casino in Las Vegas in this Jan. 6. 2007 file photo. Gates is stepping down from his job as Microsoft's chairman in July, but we probably haven't seen the last of him at the Consumer Electronics Show. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

(AP) -- European Union regulators said Monday they were again investigating software giant Microsoft Corp. this time on suspicion of abusing its market position by squeezing out competing Internet browsers and software rivals dependent on Microsoft programs.

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4.5/5 after 11 votes

• gopher65 - Jan 14, 2008
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  So... how many times is the EU going to investigate this same thing? If MS is guilty, then they should have been dealt with the first time. Isn't there a law against charging and punishing someone with the same crime over and over and over and over and over and over?
  
  I think we all know by now that MS is at least as abusive of its position as Intel (*cough*bribing Dell*cough*), Sony, and Apple (can only play iTunes songs on an iPod? iPhones being turned into bricks if you install LEGAL software made by any company other than Apple or its partners? Not even Microsoft ever did that! Please, give me an iBreak).
  
  We don't need any more proof. They are all guilty and we know it. So to me this new investigation says nothing at all about MS. All it tells me is that the EU is doomed to collapse from sheer, utter incompetence.
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• Ashibayai - Jan 14, 2008
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  The stuff they're charging MS for is really pretty controversial if you look at it. Installing IE on their own operating system shouldn't really be illegal. In fact, as much as I hate IE, I'd have to say that the other browsers are just jealous that they can't get at a market share because MS got the one up on them.
  
  You have to define what is abuse of power, and what is just trying to gain an upper hand in the competition.
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• nilbud - Jan 15, 2008
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  MS were guilty and they were fined $613million. Now they're doing something crooked again and they will be fined maybe billions of euro. If MS want to keep breaking the law eventually they'll be fined out of existence.
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