Microsoft in Trouble

[Zeeble]

I read the Times today that MS is in the process of being fined by over 400 million euros for breachng competition laws.

 

[Brian]

thats nothing new, they will tie it up in court for as long as possible and will probably either get the fine taken away, or reduced greatly.

 

[LeeRyder]

ya know...if Europe keeps pissing off American companies.. be really funny to see microsoft revoke all licenses in that area, pull out of business there and watch europe slip back to 1988 lol

 

[sunken]

Good for Europe. MS has been getting away with such things for years in the US and overseas, but unfortunately most likely what Brian said is true. In the end, these things have a way of fizzling out and they wind up getting basically a slap on the wrist.

 

[LeeRyder]

hmm sunken my baby likes your avatar alot

 

[Peter]

ya know...if Europe keeps pissing off American companies.. be really funny to see microsoft revoke all licenses in that area, pull out of business there and watch europe slip back to 1988 lol

They would lose a hell of alot more m,oney than what they are being fined if they did that, anyway it wouldnt stop the lawsuits about competition laws as they get sued in america as well

 

[LeeRyder]

oh indeed they would. dont take what I said serious, tongue in cheek kinda thing.

i'm just tired of seeing the EU trying to subsidize itself on the backs of American Corporations in this manner.

 

[dax]

It's a pocket money for M$.

 

[Zeeble]

i'm just tired of seeing the EU trying to subsidize itself on the backs of American Corporations in this manner.

This is one matter that I feel very strongly on. US subsidieses its companies on the backs of african and other countries. MS deserves a fine, any other company would get one.... MS is a multi national company and is not being targetted in any way just because it is US.
LOL, if US companies pull out of EU, we will see the US go back to 1930.
Please think about what you are saying before you makes remarks like that. The US economy is going into recession currently due to a large amount of mismanagement. Then we will see catch-up by China and the EU.

 

[adam_uk]

ya know...if Europe keeps pissing off American companies.. be really funny to see microsoft revoke all licenses in that area, pull out of business there and watch europe slip back to 1988 lol

id love to see this happen. i would welcome the move with open arms

but microsoft are always in court for something or other

 

[armstrong]

ya know...if Europe keeps pissing off American companies.. be really funny to see microsoft revoke all licenses in that area, pull out of business there and watch europe slip back to 1988 lol

If MS "pulls out of business" in Europe, then what's to stop everyone there from installing pirated copies?

Besides, if MS becomes totally unavailable in Europe, its not like there aren't alternatives. Even I would switch to opensource except for the fact that most people I do business with use MS Office documents. If by some stroke of luck everyone is forced to abandon MS Office, then opensource equivalents would be up to the task. MS Office is much too bloated rigth now anyway, with too many features that just cause PC's to run slower.

I wouldn't be surprised if MS would be willing to pay even billions in fines just to continue EU operations. Anything else would be a strategic blunder, and would make zero business sense.

 

[Zeeble]

I agree with the above post. But I really do think that MS deserves a massive fine, the way that they conduct business really is not right. If Tescos had the same market share as MS, and tried any of their tricks, then they would be slapped with the biggest court case in history.

 

[Joseph]

It would be better to have a post saying when microsoft isnt in trouble :p

 

[Zeeble]

well, I posted it really because I had not noticed how much they were really in trouble for. They manage to keep it pretty well hidden.

 

[webmark]

ya know...if Europe keeps pissing off American companies.. be really funny to see microsoft revoke all licenses in that area, pull out of business there and watch europe slip back to 1988 lol

I disagree, US companies need EU trade more than the EU needs US products

 

[Zeeble]

Well pointed out Webmark. US really needs to sell its products to the EU, it would be a blow to the EU to lose US trade but there are many trading partners within the EU.

 

[iNod]

You have to remember that one of the most biggest and expensive software companies is Microsoft.. So many people have tried to sue Microsoft it isn't funny.. There hasn't been many successful if there was it turned out to be for like 2 Thousand.. 300Million Euros would basicly wipe Microsoft (xBox, Windows, Etc) make it sorta Not so rich.. That is around 700Million US Dollars.. This would greatly affect things because first of all this would increase costs of everything they may even start charging for retarded things.. Which would make things all screwed up and the computer world would be on a hold for about 3 years well Open Source companies start to build os's that are friendly with other os's and everything would just go to hell..

Wouldn't be good. I can't see why you guys think Microsoft deserves a fine.. Microsoft has increased are computer industy by about 65%.. Even open source can't really compete with MS.. But if they did go under this would basicly be the 1 year hold on computers..

Not very good.

I still do wonder why people think Microsoft deserves a fine because they are richer and more arrgourant then you..

iNod

 

[Zeeble]

its got nothing to do with MS being rich or arrogant. They deserve to be fined simply because they have brocken the law.
MS has a monopoly in the OS market and dicatate rediculously high prices for their software.
Its not about deserving to be fined, its just what happens when you break the law.

 

[iNod]

That is true what you speak.. The reason there OS prices are so high is because of the fact of warez and the fact no one is competing with them..

I highly doubt Microsoft will really be sued anything with some of the top law firms in the world under there belt it is pretty hard to get them.

But I do as well think they deserve to be sued for breaking the law which has happened more then once.

iNod

 

[DN Tycoon]

EU needs US trade more than vice versa...the only thing the US really needs from the East is oil....and hopefully that will change someday soon. As far a MS prices being high, I don't think they are all that high when you consider you get free updates/patches for life, people complain about the written code but we all know no software is 100% bug free. They deserve to get a fine if they did the crime but the question is what other company was fined that much money for the same crime???

 

[Zeeble]

EU needs US trade more than vice versa

That really is not true. e.g. European Countries are the UK's biggest trading partners not the US. I am sorry to say, but this is typical US arrogance (luckily only by some US citisens). The US does not control the rest of the world and that is what the US is freightened of. The EU is becoming independant of the US and of NATO, it is starting to create its own statlites which were previously dominated by the US as well as its own military. Im not sure what kind of BS Bush is feeding you but it isn't true. We are no longer buying much from the US (just take a look at your embarrasingly large trade defecit) as the EU has all the resources that it needs, including labour.

 

[iNod]

You live in the UK so that answer is not competly correct.. It is leaning your way since you live in the UK.. As well you have no right really to call US arrogant.. If US was to cut off trading between UK I think you will find that UK would go into a huge battle.. US needs UK just as much as UK needs US.. Not just for Microsoft's stuff but for food,clothing, and many more things.. US holds the top for world industies.. I live in Canada as by all means I hate US just as much as you.. But there is nothing we can do about it.. US is US it will never change..

Lets all get off the topic of Trade and onto the topic of Microsoft..

iNod

 

[Zeeble]

agreed, athough I did not generalise in calling all Americans arrogant, as I said "(luckily only by some US citisens)".

 

[LeeRyder]

lol, i love the arogance of the ignorant. to say or imply the EU is less dependant on the US than vice versa is pure adolescence.... spoken by people who have no concept of the true power (economically) of the USA... I mean, California alone is the 4th largest economy in the world. So in someone saying otherwise is pure fantasy.

This is one matter that I feel very strongly on. US subsidieses its companies on the backs of african and other countries.

We BUILD african companies and nations. Without the US and EU interveening, there would be nothing in Africa but a bunch of terrorists in the north blowing everyone else up and tribes running around fighting for their land. This is what happens when corrupt govts run things.. and it is something the EU and USA are trying to control and rid the world of (albeit, a notably absent UN).

MS deserves a fine, any other company would get one.... MS is a multi national company and is not being targetted in any way just because it is US.

Please with your extensive knowledge of whats happening, give us examples of why they should be fined. What has MS done in Europe? Marketed a product? Defend something it invented and upkept from being in the hands of it's stated competitors?

Why do Europeans feel that if something exists, the creator of that product must give up the keys to the castle only to harm itself?

LOL, if US companies pull out of EU, we will see the US go back to 1930.

In what way? Tell us.. in the off chance the US pulled out.. how would the US be thrown back to the 30's?

The US economy is going into recession currently due to a large amount of mismanagement.

yet another sophmoric statement. the US in recovering from a small recession brought about by the building of our economy by clinton on an unstable internet market which crashed.
Please, provide evidence of this "mismanagement" you so boldly claim.

Then we will see catch-up by China and the EU.

Alot of catching up to do. When the USA can spend more on defense than all other nations combined, it shows how far you have to go.
Not that a better economy by Europe would be bad though..it could only help the world.. however making the statement on blind impunity does not mean its correct.

If MS "pulls out of business" in Europe, then what's to stop everyone there from installing pirated copies?

We sell more than computers and software to Europe.

Besides, if MS becomes totally unavailable in Europe, its not like there aren't alternatives. Even I would switch to opensource except for the fact that most people I do business with use MS Office documents.

No, there are alternatives.. and I for one would love to see some rise to power, Amen. However, getting all those to cooperate with each other in a standard takes a leader... someone to set the priorities and languages and programming standards... the EU can't even decide on a language... can you expect them to set programming standards?
the EU really needs to be more cohesive with each other instead of every nation worrying about it's own priorities. Thats the major difference with the US vs EU. United we stand, divided we fail.

I wouldn't be surprised if MS would be willing to pay even billions in fines just to continue EU operations. Anything else would be a strategic blunder, and would make zero business sense.

truer words could not be spoken. Of all the Euros' talking about big bad evil MS and the Evil USA behind it... preaching how the MS evil empire must be fined... can't wait until you go out to buy your copy of LongHorn in 3 years only to find your paying an extra $50 per copy to help payoff that fine .

I disagree, US companies need EU trade more than the EU needs US products

the value of New York and California combined is more than all of Europe. You sure about that?

They deserve to be fined simply because they have brocken the law.
MS has a monopoly in the OS market and dicatate rediculously high prices for their software.

broken the law how?

That really is not true. e.g. European Countries are the UK's biggest trading partners not the US. I am sorry to say, but this is typical US arrogance (luckily only by some US citisens). The US does not control the rest of the world and that is what the US is freightened of. The EU is becoming independant of the US and of NATO, it is starting to create its own statlites which were previously dominated by the US as well as its own military. Im not sure what kind of BS Bush is feeding you but it isn't true. We are no longer buying much from the US (just take a look at your embarrasingly large trade defecit) as the EU has all the resources that it needs, including labour.

lol, perhaps you should sign up for an economics class and rethink your post. really zeeble, try to be less bias in your posts... a touch of reality please.

 

[Zeeble]

Hi Lee,
Im beginning to think that you like trying to irritate people.
I don't have time right now to answer everything that you have said, so I will answer later today. But in response to your last snide remark, I had been studying Economics for 2 years. We have done research into both the European and US economies, and I am sorry to say that I think, and even my Economics lecturer thinks that you are wrong.

Also, as I said before, MS deserves to be fined because it has brocken competition laws, if this was not the case then the EU would not try to fine. It has nothing to do with the fact that MS is a US company, its purely and simpley that they have brocken the law.

I will answer your economics related questions in a new thread in the break room later today, because as someone said, "lets talk about MS"