Tag archive: commission

Microsoft has gone to great lengths to stress how compatible Windows 8 is with legacy applications. You can download these from any website and install them however you like, as has always been the case with Windows. However, when it comes to new Metro-style apps, Microsoft is locking it down and taking the Apple approach. All Metro-style apps will be available strictly in one store: the Windows Store and Microsoft will take 30 percent of all… Read More

The European Commission has been looking into whether chipmaker Intel engages in anticompetitive behavior in the European market for over a year, first raiding Intel's German offices in early 2008 and then piling on more antitrust allegations as its investigation continued. Now, industry reports have EU antitrust regulators getting ready to formally rule that Intel engaged in anticompetitive behavior to squelch products based on chips… Read More

It’s not long since Microsoft was hit by a massive fine in Europe for non-compliance in opening up its code to other developers. The total was about $680million, or 899 million Euros. But it hasn’t stopped the EU from doing business with the software giant.   One Member of the EuropeanParliament is outraged by that, however. Heidi Ruhle, a member of the German Green Party, has question why the EU is still buying from Microsoft… Read More

It seems as if Microsoft can’t win in Europe. Last October it agreed to give third-party developers access to help make systems interoperable withWindows after losing an appeal against a verdict that it broke EU competition laws and being fined $745 million.   Now the European Commission haslaunched two fresh investigations against the company.   The first brings up, once again, the issue of whether it unfairly ties the IE… Read More

The United States Federal Trade Commission has approved the proposed merger between Internet giant Google and online advertisin giant DoubleClick. Originally proposed back in April 2007. the $3.1 billion merger has raised concerns amongst consumer rights groups and privacy advocates who argue that the combined companies' ability to profile and target marketing to both online and offline consumers constitutes an invasion of… Read More

It comes as no shock or surprise, but the European Commission has confirmed the selection of DVB-H as the standard for mobile television throughout thecontinent.   EU Commissioner Viviane Reding had announced as much back in July, although the decision was subject to confirmation, which has now arrived.   The Mobile DTV Alliance wasformed in 2006 by Nokia, which helped develop DVB-H, along with Intel, Motorola,Modeo and Texas… Read More

Google might have thought it was onto a winner when it spent $3.1 billion to acquire online ad firm Doubleclick. But the fallout has proved to be more than they might have anticipated.   First the deal has been under review since May by the Federal Trade Commission. Now the EU Commission is launching an investigation, citing concerns over competition. It’s set a date of April 2, 2008 to reach a decision.   Google has pledged to… Read More

Apple has been given until June 20 to respond to European antitrust concerns about the pricing of songs in its iTunesstores on the continent.   It began in early April, when European Commission competition commissioner sent Apple a statement of objection over the pricingto Apple and unnamed record labels. They were given two months in which to reply. That deadline has now been extended.   The problem stems from the fact that iTunes… Read More

The European Commission has warned American software giant Microsoft that it may face further fines in its long-running antitrust displute, this time for over-charging software developers for technical data needed to interoperate with Microsoft's systems. As part of an antitrust ruling in 2004, Microsoft was found to have abused its monopoly position in the operating system market, and was required to disclose “complete and… Read More

Japan's Fair Trade Commission is investigating “several” LCD manufacturers on allegations the companies agreed to limit production of LCD flat-panel displays in order to offset a drop in prices. Although the commission has not named the companies it is investigating, manufacturers Sharp, NEC, and L.G. Philips LCD have been sent letters by the Fair Trade Commission, while Matsushita says it has not been contacted.… Read More

Microsoft's long-running antitrust battle with the European Union appears to be edging closer to new battlefronts, as the software giant hints that EU concerns over specific features in Windows Vista may result in the operating system release in Europe being delayed. Currently, Vista is scheduled to be released to European markets in early 2007. Microsoft has been embroiled in antitrust litigation with the European Commission for… Read More

Earlier this month, the European Commission slapped Microsoft with a fine of over $357 million for breaching a 2004 antitrust agreement; the EC further threatened to fine the company up to €3 million a day unless the company came into compliance by July 31, 2006 by providing complete and accurate documentation enabling third parties to interoperate with its server products. Why, look at the calendar! As of today, Microsoft submitted… Read More

According to Reuters, the European Commission has requested information from the developers of the rival Blu-ray and HD DVD next-generation disc formats, but noted the request is not the start of a formal investigation. Instead, the EC is looming into whether the licensing terms of the new DVD formats are in violation of EU competition regulations. The EC declined to from which companies it was requesting information, or which licenses… Read More

In a blunt nine-paragraph statement, Microsoft has escalated its antitrust dispute with the European Commission regarding documenting Windows internal protocols so third party developers can interoperate successfully with Microsoft's server platforms. Microsoft not only claims it is in full compliance with the European Commission mandate, but moreover asserts that the Commission is ignoring evidence and deliberately denying Microsoft… Read More

Microsoft was fined last year by the European Commission 496 million euros for what the EU considers as anticompetitive practices. The end result was a stripped down version of Windows without the included media player. Since then, Microsoft has paid the fine, and created a stripped down version of Windows per their request. Of the 26 total demands by the EU, only 20 have been agreed upon by Microsoft thus far. “The Commission… Read More