EC in Opera vs Microsoft fight
p2pnet news | Freedom:- A European Commission official says the complaint lodged by Norway’s Opera against Microsoft will be examined seriously.
“The case marks the first time a competitor has tried to take advantage of a recent landmark legal ruling to try to limit Microsoft’s business practices.,” says the Financial Times.
” In the September judgment, Europe’s Court of First Instance upheld an earlier Commission decision that Microsoft had unlawfully abused its dominant market position, over the tying of its Media Player software to Windows,” says the story.
Opera on Wednesday filed a complaint against Microsoft with the European Commission, “to give consumers a genuine choice of Web browsers”.
Microsoft said it’ll co-operate with any Commission inquiry but, “We believe the inclusion of the browser into the operating system benefits consumers, and that consumers and PC manufacturers already are free to choose to use any browsers they wish,” says the FT, going on:
“The case has the backing of some of Microsoft’s biggest rivals through the European Committee for Interoperable Systems, a body that includes IBM, Oracle, Sun Microsystems and Adobe.”
Browsers are, “the gateway to the internet. Microsoft seeks to control this gateway,” says Thomas Vinje, ECIS’s legal counsel, in the story,
Opera wants Internet Explorer separatedfrom Windows, “and/or the pre-installation of alternative web browsers on desktop computers, with a requirement that the company adheres to open web standards,” it adds.
Also See:
against Microsoft – Opera sues Microsoft in Europe, December 13, 2007
Financial Times – Brussels hears new complaint over Microsoft, December 14, 2007
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December 14th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
WTF.
This is the stupest thing I have ever seen.
How does Opera purpose for persons to get their browser onto their new computer with out IE being on the computer.
I use Opera, Firefox and IE.
How did I get Firefox and Opera…… via IE.
Personally i think that if they go after MS then they should have to go after Linux and Mac as well.
Make it illegal to bundle a web browser with an OS.
Oh and on top of that lets remove all extra features too like Media Players, Email Programs, Notepads, Calculators, Calendars, Games and Desktop Wallpapers.
I think Opera should spend more time improving their software and marketing it than they should in court fighting with MS.
Until they do I’m removing Opera from my computer because they are turning into another Netscape cry baby’s software group
December 14th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
only point they have is that Microsoft media player is tied in to IE e.g i have to use IE to access the bbc iplayer download.
or possibly that a pc seller can install a alternative web browser at time of sale.
December 16th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Microsft can’t deny that Internet Explorer is tied to Windows because they now renamed it “Windows” Internet Explorer. See http://www.microsoft.com/spain/windows/products/winfamily/ie/default.mspx