Comments on: Feds side with Microsoft in Korea flap

Justice Department protests strict new antitrust sanctions that South Korean regulators slapped on the software giant.

[barrack]

Windows is a weapon of mass destruction

Every day windows kills thousands of computers worldwide. Do I
see a connection here with the Bush administration?

[sbeagle]

Metro, you're an idiot!

Metro, you're an idiot!

[Llib Setag]

MS Monopoly = WMD

Previous Post but follows your train of thought...

Give a cyber terrorist a window of opportunity...Use Microsith!

Reader post by: Llib Setag
Posted on: August 17, 2005, 2:02 PM PDT

Story: Windows worm knocking out computers
Have you ever noticed that when CNN shows the troops capturing & dragging suspected terrorists from the caves, they frequently find their MS Windows PC laptops & search for terrorist activity on the hard drives?

Coinsidence?
Hugh amounts of money & they use MS PC Windows laptops?

US DOJ had their chance & they agreed that Microsith is an illegal monopoly, but refused to break the monopoly apart or control their illegal activities worldwide. MS Monopoly money goes very deep into the pockets of the U.S. Government in Washington D.C.

U.S. Gov't has suggested that MS should be considered for a national ID card for all citizens & immigrants of the USA, as part of their homeland security defense. Citizen Gates with the Dept. of Homeland Security would "manage" all important data of all citizens.

U.S. Gov't has recently suggested that MS Internet Explorer be the ONLY Internet Browser of the Government. MS-OS control battleships & aircraft carrier computers.

But noooooooooo, the terriorist wouldn't think of taking advantage of the structural weaknesses of the US-MS software that is on the governments computers, the US military computers, the US airports computers, the banking + investment computers & the majority of the US citizens computers.

Why would they want to do that...?

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

These worldwide cyber attacks are not just some smart punk kids having a laugh. These attacks are effecting millions of businesses & costing them BILLIONS of dollars. These "phishing" scams through IE Outlook are ripping off money from innocent people & growing identity theft is a major problem.

Don't make it easy for criminals / terrorists by using faulty software full of security holes that Citizen Gates can't plug fast
enough.

[technewsjunkie]

Whoa!!! Why is this different than EU's same request?

"removal of products that consumers may prefer"

THAT IS EXACTLY THE PROBLEM. Consumers (bless their non-technical hearts) are IGNORANT as to what is available and they USE THE *DEFAULT*! So, if you have a monopoly on the OS then you get what ever MS sets as default, creating an "instant" _defacto_ "standard".
AND DON'T RESPOND BY SAYING CHANGE IT BECUASE *MOST* people don't THAT's THE PROBLEM.

[unknown unknown]

RE

It not exactly the same as the EU ruling. It does contain similar language (the removal of WMP) it goes further in requiring the removal of MSN and requirement that Microsoft point to competitiors.
Also the EU represents a much larger chunk of Microsoft's sales.

Since both Windows Media Player and the MSN IM client are free their removal doesn't effect the price of Windows. So consumers can pay the same for less. If the EU's experience is any indication it doesn't seem to be a very attractive proposition.

[EricsOp]

Bush crew using faulty logic

The reason the E.U. and South Korea and other governments have to resort to this is because while the U.S. federal government found Microsoft guilty of monopolistic practices, they have failed to enforce this ruling. Over the years (specifically since 2000 when Bush et. al. came into power) they have watered down the penalties against Microsoft to the point that they are now siding with Microsoft in supporting their monopolistic practices rather than enforcing the anti-trust ruling against them. This is absolutely pathetic. Net result -- Microsoft continues to exercise unfair monopolistic practices, now with the FULL SUPPORT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. I'm telling you, our politicians need to get their collective heads out of their a**es or the revolution is coming! Federal Government credibility in the world = 0.

[OSGeeK]

Gov't paid off

Why do you think the US government is rushing to come to the aid? Because somewhere down the line through indirect channels, the government officials etc are getting paid off. Wether it's polotical contributions, incentives, or by other means. Come on! Just cause there's no proof doesn't mean it's not true.

Why do they always get away with Antitrust issues?

Why is the legallity of their shadow practices not questionned by the US?

Don't even get me started on MS and SCO...

[bmh129]

a bit overboard

I'm no Microsoft fan, but I am a believer in the free market. And I don't see how the free market won't work here, as long as Microsoft is exposed for what it is--a monopoly.

People are starting to realize that they have options. If they want to switch, they can do it on their own terms. They don't need big brother to beat down Microsoft first. I honestly believe that some day Microsoft Corp. will realize that there is a time for every thing, including closed source and open source. I don't believe that will ever happen under the influence of Bill Gates or Paul Allen.

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Free market fails in the presence of a monopoly

This is an unfortunate aspect of free markets: they utterly fail to reign in monopolies

[Llib Setag]

Signed, Sealed & Delivered...

Uncle George & Mr. Bill are so obviuosly in bed together that the US Government must try to intervine with the Korean Anti-Trust Laws of THEIR country.

Uncle George YOU ARE NOT THE PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD. This is a matter of Law & Business in a foreign country governed but foreign officials that has nothing to do with the White House.

Citizen Gates must have "The Red Phone" directly to the Oval Office, since the DOJ quickly "softened" it's judgement on MS Anti-Trust hearings directly after George Bush overtook the White House.

Bought & Paid For President by Microsoft Lobbyist.
Signed Sealed & Delivered...
"Where to you want to go today?"

[J_Satch]

Return to sender

Yes, the laws in question are Korean but last I checked, Microsoft was an American company. As such, the US gov't MAY (notice I said MAY) have a vested interest in intervening.

You'll get your point across much more effectively if you avoid conspiracy theories and demagoguery (I love to throw a big word out there now and then, I looked that up on dictionary.com!)

"after George Bush overtook the White House"

Ah yes, I still remember seeing the tanks rolling up Pennsylvania Ave as uncle stormed the gates...LOL!

Ah, the sweet taste of irony

Okay, since when did the DoJ have any room to speak on court remedies? Ever since they stunned the world with their Magical Disappearing Remedy act in their own antitrust lawsuit against MS (read http://news.com.com/The+remedy+vanishes/2100-1016_3-5178172.html) their credibility on the issue is roughly equivalent to that of Ho-Ho The Clown. They're a laughing stock. Now *they're* going to start telling other countries that they're too *lenient*??? ***?! Since when did the DoJ become a subsidiary of Microsoft?? Besides which, Korea is merely requiring MS to reverse the action which broke the law in the first place (bundling Media Player and IM in Windows) -- how is that "going beyond what is necessary or appropriate"?

Korea: "To remedy Microsoft's violation of our laws, we would like Microsoft to, um, stop violating them."

US Department of Justice: "Whoah, whoah, whoah, there cowboy! You can't just tell an American company to stop violating your laws! You gotta, um, see, the company has a wrist here, and you can slap it, see, here like this -- we do it all the time, it's fun! Now you try!"

Ya gotta love politics. ;-)

How is that illegal?

How is putting their products on their OS illegal, Apple has Quicktime, Safari, and Itunes with OSX.

Ah, the sweet taste of irony

Okay, since when did the DoJ have any room to speak on court remedies? Ever since they stunned the world with their Magical Disappearing Remedy act in their own antitrust lawsuit against MS (read http://news.com.com/The+remedy+vanishes/2100-1016_3-5178172.html) their credibility on the issue is roughly equivalent to that of Ho-Ho The Clown. They're a laughing stock. Now *they're* going to start telling other countries that they're too *lenient*??? ***?! Since when did the DoJ become a subsidiary of Microsoft?? Besides which, Korea is merely requiring MS to reverse the action which broke the law in the first place (bundling Media Player and IM in Windows) -- how is that "going beyond what is necessary or appropriate"?

Korea: "To remedy Microsoft's violation of our laws, we would like Microsoft to, um, stop violating them."

US Department of Justice: "Whoah, whoah, whoah, there cowboy! You can't just tell an American company to stop violating your laws! You gotta, um, see, the company has a wrist here, and you can slap it, see, here like this -- we do it all the time, it's fun! Now you try!"

Ya gotta love politics. ;-)

Ah, the sweet taste of irony

Okay, since when did the DoJ have any room to speak on court remedies? Ever since they stunned the world with their Magical Disappearing Remedy act in their own antitrust lawsuit against MS (read http://news.com.com/The+remedy+vanishes/2100-1016_3-5178172.html) their credibility on the issue is roughly equivalent to that of Ho-Ho The Clown. They're a laughing stock. Now *they're* going to start telling other countries that they're too *lenient*??? ***?! Since when did the DoJ become a subsidiary of Microsoft?? Besides which, Korea is merely requiring MS to reverse the action which broke the law in the first place (bundling Media Player and IM in Windows) -- how is that "going beyond what is necessary or appropriate"?

Korea: "To remedy Microsoft's violation of our laws, we would like Microsoft to, um, stop violating them."

US Department of Justice: "Whoah, whoah, whoah, there cowboy! You can't just tell an American company to stop violating your laws! You gotta, um, see, the company has a wrist here, and you can slap it, see, here like this -- we do it all the time, it's fun! Now you try!"

Ya gotta love politics. ;-)

[dam7ri]

Message has been deleted.

[hawkeyeaz1]

Who will lead us?

"At the time, U.S. politicians from both major
political parties protested the European Union's
move, saying that it was of the "utmost
importance" that the U.S. continue to take the
lead in overseeing American companies' business
practices."

Then the US gov needs to get up AND LEAD!!!!!!!!

Slapping MS on the hand and fining them less
than 1% of their monthly income and turning a
blind eye when MS ignores the decision is NOT
leadership nor is it effective.

[Intelrules]

To any comment about MS os sucking

I agree MS os sucks but why fine MS when supposedly linux is a "threat to MS dominance"? MS os government use's i am 60% sure the government has the most sophisticated software to make a junk os safe. I would not put that past them because they helped invent the internet & kept it a secret until 80's but exploded in late 90's to huge number of user's.

International anti trust feds are there just to help home grown companies not help consumer's.

[Steven N]

MS didn't help the Internet

by bundling IE to their OS, making it a monopoly, and halting development, they stalled the Internet considerably.

[Fritz the cat]

What are you talking about?

The internet was developed by Tim Berner Lee at the Council Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire, or European Organziation for Nuclear Research (CERN)in the 1990's.

[Earl Benser]

The Justice Department....

... as typified by Mr. J. Bruce McDonald, has more guts than brains,
as usual. Korea called their shot, the US has no reason to complain.
Any complaint falls into MS's court, and only MS's court.

But what the h---, $32 million isn't real money to either DC or
Redmond. So why is anyone getting excited???????

[HughT]

US Govt. stooges for Microsoft

It is a joke to suggest that the US govt. is regulating companies like Microsoft. If that were true there would have been similar anti-trust suits when Microsoft first bundled IE with its OS now they also have media player, messenger and security software. There would be no regulation if it weren't for the Europeans and the Koreans. US govt is just a bunch of lackies for Bill Gates, bought and paid for.

[alucinor]

Some parts of the US are strong Linux supporters

There are many areas in the US government that are strong supporters of Linux. Mostly military, though.

[J_Satch]

Ridiculous...

...on a number of counts but aside from that, why would the US want to emulate Europe (as you seem to suggest)? We fought wars to get away and stay away from them, remember? A little over 200 years ago? No offense to our European friends intended but it's the simple truth: we are not Europe.

Criminal government backing criminal company

Both are corrupt and corrupting. In fact both are even trying to persuade/lobby critic governments to support their (factually) unlawfull actions, thus making prosecution much harder. How's that for undermining the (internation) justice system!
Enough said.

"First they ignore you. Than they laugh at you. Then they fight you...then you win."

[Steve_a]

"May Prefer"

Just because someone "may prefer" it doesn't mean thats its right to make it hard to avoid it. Some people "may prefer" tofu to meat but that doesn't mean that the default option, unless you go out of your way to specify otherwise, should be that your steak turns out to be tofu.

[J_Satch]

What about tofurkey...

...or turducken?

[VI Joker]

Choice

I think is more of disto problem than an MS problem, since MS does not sell fully configured machines. Windows-N is available for distros to license, which is just the OS. All they would have to do is load it on the machine, but they choose to license just the regular Windows. Where is the accountability for the distros? However, I do agree that any component that is not essential to the OS (ex. media player, IM, browser, etc.) should be removalable without damage to the OS.

[Lolo Gecko]

Ban all Kim Chee imports to US ....

:)

[blizzard23]

I buy Made in USA Kimchee

Support the local economy. My Camry is from Kentucky, too.

[alucinor]

DOJ not needed

Microsoft's power will wane to market forces just fine. They have a monopoly in the PC, but that platform is moving towards commoditization.

[nicmart]

Hey, they are American slaves!

They are our slaves, and only we can beat them. Other
governments must mistreat their own slaves.

[Fritz the cat]

Microsoft is so screwed now

If our goverments doesn't back off siding with Microsoft on this crap then korea is most likely going to declare war on the US for such a stupid thing their doing. Or better yet they'll tell ole' Bill Gates to take his Windows OS and shove it where the sun doesn't shine.

Most of Asia has stopped buying and has stopped using expensive Windows for the much cheaper and more cost effective Linux (Specifically China's Red Flag Linux.)

Microsoft going to have to make the decision to either remove the crap from the server edition and send out a version without it or prepare to see Korea completely boycott all Micrsofts products (Maybe cause a war over this stupid thing.)

But that's something Microsoft isn't thinking about and if you can't go by what the people of another country want your just hurting your company by not trying to settle and develop a new server edition of windows without the media player.

Linux comes bundled with alot of things but the great thing about it is is that you can remove most of the stuff and not have to worry much about harming the OS. But with Windows since everything from Windows Media player strait to IE are so tightly integrated you can't remove them unless you want to harm the OS.