Korea fines Microsoft $33M
p2p news / p2pnet: The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has ordered Microsoft to unbundle its Windows Media Player and MSN messenger from its Windows operating system and fined the company 33 billion won (almost $31,822,000)
Microsoft violated South Korea’s anti-trust laws, says the Chosun Ibo.
Last year the European Commission found Bill and the Boyz guilty of breaking anti-trust laws and told the company to start selling an unbundled version of Windows, there.
It was “later accused of dirty tricks which included deleting registry items to stop rival media players working with some applications,” says ZDNet News, pointing out that less than a week ago Microsoft promised a US a court its monopolistic days were over.
By tying its streaming media products to its operating systems, Microsoft, “managed to upend the domestic media server market,” grabbing more than 90% of it, says ZDNet, going on:
“The shift in market share due to Microsoft tying Windows Media Player to the operating system has been dramatic: from a 39 percent share in December 2000, when Microsoft first tied the player to Windows, Microsoft’s share has risen to 60 percent.”
Similarly, “Microsoft used its dominant position in desktop operating systems to restrict competition in the IM market,” says the story.
Microsoft has has 180 days to comply, says the Chosun Ibo, adding:
“FTC Chairman Kang Chul-kyu said the bundling harmed competition by monopolizing the media player and messenger markets, raising barriers into the OS market and hurting consumers.”
Microsoft Korea ” vowed to appeal the decision” saying it had complied with Korean law and “tried to promote the interest of Korean consumers”.
Also read:-
Chosun Ibo – FTC Fines Microsoft W33 Billion in Antitrust Case, December 7, 2005
ZDNet News – South Korea orders Microsoft to unbundle Windows, December 7, 2005
December 8th, 2005 at 12:31 pm
It’s actually quite a small fine for MS. This doesn’t even cost as much as they legion of lawyers for a year!
MS is one ’shitz’ of a piece of shitz… Warning to you readers, don’t “upgrade” to MS Vista and the next version of Office, or else you’ll find yourself with some unpleasant surprises! I don’t just mean back doors, keyloggers, viruses, un-compatibility, instability issues — these of course will be there. But something even more heinous….
…. If you respect your DATA and FREEDOM, don’t, DON’T use Apple OR MS…. Ask some of your MORE INTELLIGENT and COMPUTER LITTERATE friends why. Some might have ’some’ of the reasons, but they don’t know most of it.
I’ll just keep it brief, and say “you’ve been warned in advance!!!”