Re: Microsoft Attempts to Intercept EU Fines

[sloblocks <sloblocks@xxxxxxxxx>]

Rex Ballard used his keyboard to write :
> Roy Schestowitz wrote:
> > Microsoft submitted documents in bid to avoid fine
> > http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/articlehybrid.aspx?storyID=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20060731:MTFH12417_2006-07-31_10-13-23_L31156239&type=comktNews&rpc=44
>
> It looks like the EU has finally found a punishment that is at least
> getting Microsoft to take a court ruling seriously.  Fine them 3
> million Euros/day until they comply fully.  Too bad the Bush
> administration didn't do something like that.  By now, Microsoft could
> have paid almost 1/2 the national debt (if we hadn't gone to war with
> Iraq and lowered taxes).
>
> At least in the EU, Microsoft is NOT above the law.

Do you really think Microsoft will ever actually PAY these fines?

> I find it really interesting that Microsoft has had 300 people trying
> to draft a document which amounts to "here is the public-domain
> document, here are the two field we added and how they are used".
>
> It almost seems like Microsoft is trying to hide something really
> important, something worth paying nearly $1 billion in fines.  Some
> "back doors", perhaps?
>
> Furthermore, it seems like at least 200 of these people are lawyers,
> trying to figure out how to make sure that anyone who does read these
> specifications can never code for any platform other than Windows, ever
> again.
>
> > EU-too early to say if Microsoft faces further fine
> > http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/articlehybrid.aspx?storyID=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20060731:MTFH12588_2006-07-31_10-22-28_BRU004837&type=comktNews&rpc=44
> >
> > ,----[ Quote ]
> > > "It's too early at this stage to give any indication of whether there
> > > will be another payment, another penalty, and if there is to be another
> > > penalty how much it would be," Commission spokesman Michael Mann told a
> > > news briefing.
> > `----
>
> It's beginning to look more and more like Microsoft will have to adopt
> the standards established by Linux/Unix, without those proprietary
> "enhancements" rather than admit to all of --- whatever they are trying
> to hide ---.
>
> What would be worth $1 billion to hide?

Errr.. The market for servers is /quite/ large unless I'm mistaken....

--
Lets just say I ordered number two on the menu and I got what I 
ordered, Hot and steamy. I would have told the chef where to stick it 
only I think that's where it had come from...