EU Fines Microsoft Record $1.3 Billion

[E6600]

Serves them right.

On a side note, it seems Microsoft is opening up to open standards, the more they do, the less reasons I have to not use their products.

[downphoenix]

Originally Posted by Axeus

So you're saying that Microsoft is allowed to break the law?

What law exactly did they break?

Originally Posted by Romanc

Wrong. It's Microsoft who has been trying to capitalize off the fact that Windows is the dominant operating system in the home computing world. Extortionate licensing fees when you are in a near monopoly situation is illegal in reference to antitrust laws.

Nobody is forcing you to use Windows. And how come if Microsoft gets fined, Apple isn't getting fined? They do the exact same thing with their OS, except worse, because you have to buy their HARDWARE too. PCs aren't locked like that. If you want, you can uninstall windows or not even get it and put Linux or whatever on it.

[Axeus]

Originally Posted by downphoenix

What law exactly did they break?

Originally Posted by Romanc

Extortionate licensing fees when you are in a near monopoly situation is illegal in reference to antitrust laws.

Monopolistic Price-Gouging is illegal... Monopolies are illegal for that matter.

[rounds1]

Originally Posted by downphoenix

Nobody is forcing you to use Windows. And how come if Microsoft gets fined, Apple isn't getting fined? They do the exact same thing with their OS, except worse, because you have to buy their HARDWARE too. PCs aren't locked like that. If you want, you can uninstall windows or not even get it and put Linux or whatever on it.

The issue is that they're charging other software companies too much to make windows-compatible applications. It's like how in the US you can only use "x" cable provider because that's the only one in the area. Well, someone has to control how much that cable provider charges. Since most people use Windows, software companies have little choice but to create Windows-compatible applications.

On top of that, the EU fined MS a while back and MS never paid up. They did, however, lower their fees to something like .5%.

I don't think MS takes the EU that seriously or they would have paid by now. We'd have to see exactly how much MS has been "overpaid" over the years to tell if the EU's justified in fining them so much.

[Juno]

[Fyrus]

Originally Posted by Romanc

Sure it hasn't. That's why it is in the PC section. k?

Thanks pirate

[rbbdrooger]

Originally Posted by downphoenix

I think it is total BS.

Europeans are hating on the 360 because they are hating on Microsoft.

That statement is BS. Please don't generalize.

[downphoenix]

Originally Posted by rbbdrooger

That statement is BS. Please don't generalize.

Considering sales of 360, its not.

At least Japan has valid excuses to not buy it (Such as we nuked them and few games are on the system that they are interested in).

[Juno]

Originally Posted by downphoenix

Considering sales of 360, its not.

At least Japan has valid excuses to not buy it (Such as we nuked them and few games are on the system that they are interested in).

Uh... First of all the reason why the 360 doesn't sell very well in Europe is because everyone wants a PS3 for the Playstation franchises. Secondly there are plenty of reasons for Europe to hate America.

[rbbdrooger]

Originally Posted by downphoenix

Considering sales of 360, its not.

At least Japan has valid excuses to not buy it (Such as we nuked them and few games are on the system that they are interested in).

I've said this in a lot of other topics: Europeans don't know the Xbox brand as much as the Playstation brand. Most of my 'casual gaming' friends bought PS2's because they were here first, they were relatively cheap and they had GTA and FIFA. It has nothing to do with any 'hate'.