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Microsoft appeals EU antitrust ruling
June 8, 2004 -
Microsoft: No easy mark
April 15, 2004 -
Europe plays hardball with Microsoft
March 24, 2004
The Korean Fair Trade Commission has been investigating whether Microsoft violated antitrust laws by tying its messaging software into its dominant Windows operating system, according to a source familiar with the inquiry. In 2001, Korean messaging rival Daum Communications sparked the investigation by complaining that Microsoft was using its monopoly position to freeze out competitors.
In April of this year, Daum filed a private antitrust suit against Microsoft seeking 10 billion won ($8.6 million).
The investigation comes just as Microsoft has appealed a European Commission ruling that the company abused its monopoly and should be fined and its business practices changed. Earlier this year, Japanese trade officials raided Microsoft offices there, though Microsoft said that probe centered on language in its contracts with computer makers that have since been altered to satisfy critics.
Microsoft confirmed the search and said it is cooperating with Korean investigators.
"On June 10 representatives of the Korean FTC visited Microsoft to collect information," said Microsoft spokeswoman Stacy Drake. "Microsoft legal representatives met with investigators and instructed Microsoft employees to cooperate with the FTC."
Regulators are expected to stay at the company's offices through early next week.
Drake said Microsoft believes it has acted lawfully. "We are committed to upholding the laws of Korea and every country in which we operate."
See more CNET content tagged:
Daum Communications, regulator, antitrust, messaging, Microsoft Corp.
Just think about this for a second:
If every car manufacturer installed a certain brand of air bags in cars, would there be any competition in the market for air bags? No. One company makes them no other company can try because theres no one to buy them.
Going back to your browser comment. Yes you had to pay for them because no one had released a free one yet and competition hadnt really started so prices were still coming down. Microsoft immediately upon the release of the first free web browser started bundling theirs with windows. No one needed a web browser anymore because they already had one. Microsoft killed an entire market.
Thats the pattern thats been repeated throughout Microsofts history. They destroy every market they touch.
A company with as much influence over the IT economy should not be allowed to abuse it to the extent Microsoft has. The Bell companies were broken up to promote competition and innovation. This is no different.
your web browser because it wasn't tied into your system.
Remember when you had control of your system so you could
change things to your liking without destroying your system.
Remember you could take any browser and delete it if you didn't
like it. Delete IE form Windows and see what happens.
This about choice a.k.a freedom. Are we really getting
innovation or lack of control over our computers? I run MS
because my school requires it, but at home I use alternative
systems as I like to control my own system. I want my computer
to do what I want it to do. Think of a car anology:
I want to change my tires for better ones than what came with
my car I can. The car doesn't stop running. I want to change my
browser for a better one on Windows but I can't. I have to add an
extra one but I have to keep the old one there. Extra baggage
slows down my computer. I want to change my head lights for
stronger ones I can, but if I want to get rid of media player my
system won't run properly.
This is innovation? I wish for the days when I had to pay for my
browser then at least I had a choice and less fear of some idiot
getting into my system and doing whatever he/she wanted to
do.
Yes MS is a bogus company forcing us to do what they want not
what we want to do and how we want to do it.
Just think about this for a second:
If every car manufacturer installed a certain brand of air bags in cars, would there be any competition in the market for air bags? No. One company makes them no other company can try because theres no one to buy them.
Going back to your browser comment. Yes you had to pay for them because no one had released a free one yet and competition hadnt really started so prices were still coming down. Microsoft immediately upon the release of the first free web browser started bundling theirs with windows. No one needed a web browser anymore because they already had one. Microsoft killed an entire market.
Thats the pattern thats been repeated throughout Microsofts history. They destroy every market they touch.
A company with as much influence over the IT economy should not be allowed to abuse it to the extent Microsoft has. The Bell companies were broken up to promote competition and innovation. This is no different.
your web browser because it wasn't tied into your system.
Remember when you had control of your system so you could
change things to your liking without destroying your system.
Remember you could take any browser and delete it if you didn't
like it. Delete IE form Windows and see what happens.
This about choice a.k.a freedom. Are we really getting
innovation or lack of control over our computers? I run MS
because my school requires it, but at home I use alternative
systems as I like to control my own system. I want my computer
to do what I want it to do. Think of a car anology:
I want to change my tires for better ones than what came with
my car I can. The car doesn't stop running. I want to change my
browser for a better one on Windows but I can't. I have to add an
extra one but I have to keep the old one there. Extra baggage
slows down my computer. I want to change my head lights for
stronger ones I can, but if I want to get rid of media player my
system won't run properly.
This is innovation? I wish for the days when I had to pay for my
browser then at least I had a choice and less fear of some idiot
getting into my system and doing whatever he/she wanted to
do.
Yes MS is a bogus company forcing us to do what they want not
what we want to do and how we want to do it.