RSSEC extends the deadline for Microsoft to defend itself
By Scott M. Fulton, III | Published March 11, 2009, 2:38 PM
With two weeks to go before the original eight-week deadline for Microsoft to present its response to the European Commission's latest Statement of Objections, the EC announced late today it has granted Microsoft's request to extend the deadline another three weeks, to April 21. This from EC spokesperson Jonathan Todd, in statements to Reuters and other sources.
Microsoft was ordered to prepare an oral statement for the EC as a defensive response to the Statement. That defense would center on the company's continued bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows. How the EC receives that response will determine whether it pursues legal action against Microsoft, the result of which could include a new round of fines. Spokesperson Todd has also intimated to several sources that Microsoft may also be compelled to give customers who are setting up or upgrading to Windows 7, the option of installing alternate Web browsers.
3:10 pm EDT March 11, 2009 - A Microsoft spokesperson in Belgium confirmed the new dates for Betanews this afternoon.
"Microsoft was ordered to prepare an oral statement for the EC as a defensive response to the Statement."
Not quite. The European authority gives Microsoft a right to respond, no one orders the company to make a statement. The old "round of fines" was because of non-compliance. Here a decision concerning technical measures is likely. If Microsoft does not comply with a ruling fines would naturally apply but that is a different story. Microsoft was one of the first companies that refused to comply with a ruling.
Score: 0
|*laughing*
Opera: We suck because of Internet Explorer, not our complete inability to market!
Google: We suck because of IE, not the fact that our browser is barely functional or "just off the presses".
Firefox: We don't suck at all, we just like to b**** and look forward to this opportunity to shoot ourselves in the feet....again.
Score: -2
|You know what Microsoft should do to shut all these countries up?
STOP SELLING WINDOWS TO THEM!
Watch them crumble....
Then they will BEG them to come back...
Score: -2
|"Microsoft was ordered to prepare an oral statement for the EC as a defensive response to the Statement. That defense would center on the company's continued bundling.[sic] How the EC receives that response will determine whether it pursues legal action against Microsoft, the result of which could include a new round of fines."
For example, if the EC receives it's response orally, it will pursue monetary fines against Microsoft. On the other hand, if it doesn't receive it's response at all, or it's in written form, the EC will pursue monetary fines against Microsoft. Of course, if it receives it's response as a combination of the above, then it will then be forced to pursue monetary fines against Microsoft.
In order to comply with the EC, Microsoft should ship a blank DVD and call it "Windows EU Edition", and charge the same price as Windows Vista Ultimate+50 EU (for past expenses).
Score: -1
|"company's continued bundling How the EC"
Needs a fullstop.
Score: 1
|Thank you, Paul; corrected.
-SF3
Score: -2
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