Has the EU resorted to blackmail because it is unable to compete in the technology marketplace.?

Question

"EU fines Microsoft $1.3 Billion"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080227/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_microsoft

Answer 1

BRUSSELS —European antitrust regulators on Wednesday fined Microsoft $1.3 billion for failing to comply with a 2004 judgment that the company had abused its market dominance. The new fine by the European Commission was the largest it has ever imposed on an individual company, and brings the total in fines imposed on Microsoft to about $2.5 billion, in current exchange rates.

Microsoft had earlier been fined after the commission determined in 2004 that the company had abused the dominance of its Windows operating system to gain unfair market advantage. The commission imposed the new fine Wednesday, it said, because the company had not met the prescribed remedies after the earlier judgment.

“Microsoft was the first company in 50 years of E.U. competition policy that the commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an antitrust decision,” the European competition commissioner, Neelie Kroes, said in a statement.

Answer 2

Well there's the Eurotrash for you.

to knarly: back up that diarrhea you just wrote, cant even contact you that's the mark of the troll.

Answer 3

You havent a clue - America historically is very lacking in inovation. This is greatly diue to the make up of its original settlers - religous freaks - people genetically predisposed to accept the status quo and not ask difficult questions. There are very few great inventions directly attributed to the US - most technologies have been developed elsewhere and usurped by the US whos citizens then assume they invented them as they dont ask any questions.

And really - all they are doing with MS is trying to discourage use of a bug and virus ridden pile of garbage .

BTW North american technology is currently woefully behind the rest of the world - telephones? automotive? civil aviation?

Answer 4

The EU has investigated and fined almost every US company which is succesful in Europe. Thus most recent fine against Microsoft is an outrage  perpetrated by the ancient anti American Crone who handles such things for the EU.

She is an angry, anti-American bureaucrat who wants to bring US companies down so that the Europeans can steal

technology and compete.

I think Microsoft and other US Companies should simply refuse to deal with any EU countries and see how fast the EU backs off.

It's about time the US Government got involved in protecting US interests in Europe.

Enough is enough.

Answer 5

No, the EU just punishes anti-competitive behavior whereas the US seems to have forgotten all about Teddy Roosevelt and the great trust-busting he did.

This hilarious diagram in the link I am including is a perfect illustration of how Americans are offered the "illusion" of competition & choice.