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back to article Microsoft thanks EU after losing its appeal

Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith has given the company's first response to the rejection of its appeal against the European Commission's anti-trust action. The Court of First Instance ruled that the commission was right to fine Microsoft €497m and to order it to provide competitors with interoperability information for …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Window Media Player

    "Smith's statement is available as video, via Windows Media Player"

    Well, I suppose that's one way of saying "F**k you, EU"

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    How long do they want to read 150+ pages?

    Given the short amount of time they allowed people to read the 6000+ pages of their OOXML standard they shoud have until the end of the day at the latest!

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  3. andy gibson

    "Microsoft's commitment to Europe"

    Start charging us the same price for Windows that Amercian customers pay then.

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  4. D. M

    Good news I guess

    Well, I'm sure M$ will fight for it. they didn't pay the army of lawyers for nothing. I only hope M$ will finally lose, and start thinking what it has been doing wrong. And hopefully starts to do the right thing.

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  5. MattCasters

    Re: Window Media Player

    To be honest, it plays just fine on my Linux box using the Kaffeine media player.

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  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    we've already paid this off for them

    That'll be why Windows costs twice as much here as it does in the US.

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Translating MS speak

    quotes:

    "Smith said: "A lot has changed, but I will say that one thing has remained constant and will continue to do so, and that is Microsoft's commitment to Europe. When this case started, we published Windows in 24 European languages – today that number is 41, and it will continue to grow. When we started this case, we had 3,900 employees in Europe – today we have 13,000, and that number will continue to grow. When this case started, we were spending $3m a year on research and development in Europe – today we are spending almost half a billion, and that number will continue to grow."

    Do I detect some slightly veiled threats here?

    reading between the lines, it sounds like MS are saying you depend on us for 13,000 jobs and $500m R&D. Be nice and there will be more ("will continue to grow"). Makes you wondered what would happen if the EC were not so nice?

    Why else say it? It doesn't have a lot of bearing on the case.

    After the stunts MS pulled with ISO and OOXML, you have to wonder.

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  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The judgment

    Funny that you don't refer to the Court's web site for the judgment?

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  9. Sabahattin Gucukoglu

    No, Come On

    Microsoft could never dare to pull out of Europe. What's worse, after all - a quick slap on the wrist or three or the loss of consumer, OEM/wholesale and contracted licenses in all of Europe?

    Cheers,

    Sabahattin

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  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Microsoft could also never withdraw from Europe...

    Microsoft could also never withdraw from Europe as it would set a huge precedent for how any government could force Microsoft to withdraw from their country if they wanted. (I'm thinking places like China, Russia etc.)

    Also If Microsoft withdrew from Europe it would leave a huge operating system shaped hole for Linux / BSD / MacOS /A.N. Other to step into and a legion of software developers in Europe developing for a diferent operating system. Tie those together and you create a new / enlarged competitor to Microsoft who would not just stay in the European markets.

    (Also Europe must be profitable for Micrsoft, otherwise they wouldn't bother developing all the alternative language versions)

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  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    41 languages in Europe ...

    ,,, and no English!

    What will it take for MS to 'develop' an English OS that uses the 'U' character somewhat more than the average Amercian Joe?

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