RSSMicrosoft Appeals Korea Antitrust Ruling
By Ed Oswald | Published March 27, 2006, 11:19 AM
Microsoft said on Monday that it had filed an appeal in the Seoul High Court against a decision by the South Korea Fair Trade Commission. In the ruling, the KFTC ordered Microsoft to unbundle both its messaging and media player software from the Windows operating system.
The KFTC also fined Microsoft $33 million USD, and gave the company 30 days to appeal.
The case came out of two separate complaints filed by competitors Daum and RealNetworks in 2001. While both have separately settled their legal differences with Microsoft, South Korean officials said at the time its investigation would continue.
"The facts do not support the KFTC's position. Consumers can easily download and use a wide range of software from many different companies," said Jae Hoon Chung, Korea senior attorney for Microsoft. "In fact, market data from Korean Click show that Korean consumers use multiple media players and instant messenger clients."
Microsoft called the restrictions placed on it more severe than those of the European Union, which it is also appealing. Whereas in Europe customers can still purchase a regular version of Windows, in Korea that would not be possible.
While rumors circulated last year of a possible pullout of South Korea by Microsoft, analysts said such a move is highly unlikely. The country is one of Microsoft's top ten largest markets. Also, the ruling would likely not have much effect on the company outside of Korea.
What the He** would you know what is best for microsoft! And you think Google is a light weight competitors? Get a clue!
Microsoft should suck it up pull out of these loser countries and let them fend for themselves. It won't take long for them to BEG for them to come back. Just thru public out cry.
It has to stop somewhere!
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|What has to stop is the obvious fallacy in pushing a monolithic OS on everyone. Windows is getting too large for MS to manage effectively on the programming side.
They need to start moving towards a modular system. It's unlikely this will happen anytime soon, though as the company has the personality of your typical control freak.
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|Microsoft does not seem to be able to take a hint.
All it needs to do is to give the user the option to install add-on components for bundled software just like it does for its optional add-ons.
Microsoft seem to have the agility of a bear in a tarpit, still able to move, but functioning more slowly as a whole.
I really believe that Microsoft need to be broken down into smaller, more agile units if it can keep up with its more lightweight competitors, such as google.
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|The case is a long ways from over. This is just the first appeal. We haven't even got to the part where Microsoft accuses some court offical of bias and impropriety.
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|Again...
We really need an International Technology Bureau or something.
Regardless of one's feelings regarding Microsoft's right to bundle or not, does anyone here really think the KFTC, or the United States FTC is capable of fully understanding the impact or justifications regarding these things?
I mean, really...how many of these people even know what a DLL or API is?
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|DLL or API ??
sorry, i dont have cable
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|rofbmalfo...
X-actly.
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|None probably. But the consultants they hire to read the technical documentation they are providing as evidence probably do.
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|And do these consultants get paid by the hour? Do they have any interest whatsoever in the outcome?
Seriously, this needs to put out of the hands of government and into the hands of a technical organization.
Do I have any ideas for who would be in it, how it would be funded, or where/how it would operate and what control they should be given?
Hell no. But it's still gotta be better than how it's being handled now.
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|These consultants do have an interest in the outcome as we are learning in the Euro lawsuit. There seems not to be an objective party out there when it comes to MS. That is sad.
I would hate to see theirs or anyone elses OS reduced to an empty shell
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|I've been there and seen their daum IM. Yes, they use something else, but Microsoft's messenger does not mess with their IM. As far as real player goes, I hate it. It always is such a bother, and it has a horrible interface. They wanna use it, fine. But both of these pieces of software are not worth squeezing M$ out of $33 Mil. and making them create a seperate OS package like they did in Europe. Korea's just being money hungry. Like it was said before, yank M$ from the country, and they will come crawling back. North Korea is the same way. "Give in to our demands or else..."...or else they will take back their threat, back down, and beg for whatever they "demanded" in the first place.
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