__/ [ Mark Kent ] on Wednesday 12 July 2006 22:10 \__
> begin oe_protect.scr
> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>> __/ [ Linonut ] on Wednesday 12 July 2006 12:17 \__
>>
>>> After takin' a swig o' grog, nessuno@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx belched out this
>>> bit o' wisdom:
>>>
>>>> IP/04/382). That Decision found that Microsoft had abused its dominant
>>>> position under Article 82 EC, and required Microsoft to disclose
>>>> complete and accurate interface documentation which would allow
>>>> non-Microsoft work group servers to achieve full interoperability with
>>>> Windows PCs and servers. Today's Decision, adopted under Article
>>>> 24(2) of Regulation 1/2003, finds that Microsoft has not fulfilled this
>>>> obligation. Should Microsoft continue to fail to comply, the Decision
>>>> also increases the amount of the daily penalty payment to which
>>>> Microsoft could be subject to euro3 million per day.
>>>
>>> Like, how will they collect?
>>
>> No software coupons, please. No purses with lipstick, either. I am more
>> curious about how the money is returned, divided, distributed, and/or
>> invested (among industry, as well as EU nations). Maybe they should use
>> the money to <sarcasm>sponsor some counter-Microsoft Munchkins
>> or</sarcasm> compensate companies that were affected. But how???
>> Additionally, without eventual compliance, it's a toothless tiger penalty.
>
> It sends an important signal to MS and everyone else, I think, but as
> you say, the key thing is actually getting the hard cash from MS. You
> can't redistribute the cash, it must go into EU coffers - anything else
> would look too much like corruption, be that the intention on not.
>
> Were I the commissioner, I would simply continue to increase the daily
> fine, perhaps 1million per day every week, until MS decided that it be
> too expensive, and chose to comply with the requirement instead. I do
> harbour the suspicion that without employing the samba team, MS will
> find it very difficult to comply, as I suspect that they lack the
> technical capability.
If the priority is to get them to comply (which it is!), don't even increase
it linearly. First month - 3m per day; second month: 6m per day; third
month: 12m; forth: 24m...
At some stage, given enough time, they will comply or file for bankruptcy (or
simply retract all business from the EU).
Best wishes,
Roy
--
Roy S. Schestowitz | Useless fact: Digits 772-777 of Pi are 999999
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