Opera files antitrust complaint with the EU

[nick-8318]

Opera files antitrust complaint with the EU (about microsoft)

http://www.opera.com/pressreleases/en/2007/12/13/


Here is a Snippet:

Opera Software ASA, the only company that can put the Web on any device, filed a complaint with the European Commission yesterday which is aimed at giving consumers a genuine choice of Web browsers.

The complaint describes how Microsoft is abusing its dominant position by tying its browser, Internet Explorer, to the Windows operating system and by hindering interoperability by not following accepted Web standards. Opera has requested the Commission to take the necessary actions to compel Microsoft to give consumers a real choice and to support open Web standards in Internet Explorer.

 

[Kate]

I always use Opera, ie blows

 

[labrocca]

Good for Opera.

 

[nick-8318]

Good for Opera.

I don't know if its good for opera......but it would be good for all web designers

 

[Castlemelody]

If things work out well, we won't have to worry about making little sometimes big adjustments just to accommodate IE browsers.

We will see.

 

[exponent]

Opera has a stupid argument here. If Windows did not include a browser, how would people get on the internet? How would people find out about Opera? Firefox?

 

[Peter]

Opera has a stupid argument here. If Windows did not include a browser, how would people get on the internet? How would people find out about Opera? Firefox?

Lol very good point.

This case to me sounds too similar to the case Netscape brought against Microsoft a few years ago. That ended in an out of court settlement.

If this is truly about making companies adhere to the standards then why do they not also take AOL and Firefox to court as well? They do not 100% adhere to the standards either.

 

[labrocca]

Opera has a stupid argument here. If Windows did not include a browser, how would people get on the internet? How would people find out about Opera? Firefox?

That's not the argument Opera is making. The argument they are making is that Internet Explorer doesn't use web standards. This is a problem for Opera because it DOES use standards. So when a site doesn't work on Opera but it works in IE people only assume it's because Opera sucks when in truth it's IE that sucks. This is a side-effect of their dominimant position in the marketplace. They don't have to comply with standards in their minds.

And IE is tied to Vista an XP..you can't uninstall it. It's one thing for the program to be installed by default and it's another for it to be unremovable. However IE is easier now to remove as default browser.

If this is truly about making companies adhere to the standards then why do they not also take AOL and Firefox to court as well? They do not 100% adhere to the standards either.

They don't hold a dominant market position that effects Opera negatively.

 

[Ronald Regging]

That's not the argument Opera is making. The argument they are making is that Internet Explorer doesn't use web standards. This is a problem for Opera because it DOES use standards. So when a site doesn't work on Opera but it works in IE people only assume it's because Opera sucks when in truth it's IE that sucks. This is a side-effect of their dominimant position in the marketplace. They don't have to comply with standards in their minds.

Wait, so the site wont work in Opera, but it does work in IE, and somehow IE is the one that sucks? How does that work exactly?

Actually I am just being coy... (the fish)

In all reality, Microsoft's lack of incorporating web standards has created more competition for them. How many of use have switched to Opera or Firefox merely because of this fact? I'd guess a vast majority... Competition has been created and has gained a decent market share BECAUSE of IE's lack of web standards.

Now that Opera has gained a foothold in the market, they want to destroy the very thing that got them there, because it is now a roadblock for them.

I mean I understand their argument completely, and it does have its merits... But one has to seriously wonder that if MS had been using web standards all this time, whether browsers like Opera or Firefox would have even 1/10th the market share they currently do.