Europe plays hardball with Microsoft
special coverage Members of Congress are quick to protest the EU's $613 million fine against Microsoft. Also: An intellectual-property precedent could help the software giant in its appeal. Read up to 17 related stories
By CNET News.com Staff
March 24, 2004 6:37 PM PST
EU slaps record fine on Microsoft
update Regulators hit the software giant with a fine of $613 million for violating European Union antitrust law and also order the unbundling of Media Player software from Windows.March 24, 2004
U.S. politicos fire at EU's Microsoft ruling
In a strongly worded letter, members of the House International Relations Committee ask regulators in Brussels to reconsider their decision to levy a record fine against the U.S.-based company.March 24, 2004
Read the official statement
The European Commission issues a summary of its findings that Microsoft broke EU competition law and that its "ongoing abuses" are squelching innovation.March 24, 2004
FAQ: What's ahead for Microsoft
What does the software giant have to do to comply with the EU ruling, and what is the impact for consumers?March 24, 2004
House letter: Windows issue 'not a concern' for EU
In a letter to the European Commission, members of Congress say that because the bundling issue was resolved by the DOJ settlement, it "should not have been an area of concern for the E.U."March 24, 2004
Monitoring the monitors
The EU's ruling in its antitrust case against Microsoft highlights the difficulties facing technical compliance officers.March 24, 2004
Intellectual-property precedent could help Microsoft appeal
A decision in an earlier European antitrust case involving the health care industry could bode well for the software maker as it prepares its appeal.March 24, 2004
Still unanswered questions in EU decision
Interpretations differ on how the European Commission's decision will affect Microsoft, consumers and competitors.March 24, 2004
Business as usual for PC makers
Despite the EU ruling, manufacturers aren't rushing to take up the option of shipping computers without Windows Media Player in Europe.March 24, 2004
Ballmer: All companies should be allowed to innovate
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer vows to fight the antitrust ruling, arguing that all companies, even ones with a near monopoly, have a right to improve their products.March 24, 2004
EU ruling could be key to Microsoft's future
The European Union's decision to force the company to unbundle its media software with Windows could limit its product strategy.March 24, 2004
A tale of two cases
news analysis European regulators are going far beyond what U.S. prosecutors agreed to. How did similar antitrust philosophies lead to divergent courses?March 24, 2004
Cropped Windows already exists
Microsoft may have set a difficult precedent for itself with a program to sell a scaled-back version of Windows XP in Thailand and Malaysia.March 24, 2004
The remedy vanishes?
The debate over the impact of the U.S. Department of Justice case reignites, as European regulators seek to impose stricter penalties against Microsoft.March 24, 2004
The full Monti
profile Flexibility and deliberation define the European Commission antitrust chief's controversial five-year reign.March 24, 2004
Coming back to haunt them
Every executive knows the risk of having old e-mails surface as trial evidence--but perhaps none so well as Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.March 24, 2004
'To heck with Mario Monti'
perspective CNET News.com's Charles Cooper voices his opinion on how Steve Ballmer should have reacted to the European Union's competition commissioner.March 24, 2004
Monti won't stall Microsoft
commentary The European Commission's ruling represents at best an annoyance to Microsoft, not a genuine barrier--even for Longhorn, Forrester says.March 24, 2004
The European Union isn't the only official agency making life difficult for Microsoft. Around the world, national and local governments are showing increasing interest in open-source software as an alternative to Windows.
Germany
The municipal government of Munich is in the midst of a program to migrate 14,000 city PCs to open-source software. The national government has also funded open-source development projects and is promoting the use of open-source products by government agencies.
The municipal government of Munich is in the midst of a program to migrate 14,000 city PCs to open-source software. The national government has also funded open-source development projects and is promoting the use of open-source products by government agencies.
United Kingdom
The government's procurement agency has selected Linux to run its new online purchasing system. The government also says it has saved millions of dollars by using the threat of open-source migration as a bargaining tactic against Microsoft.
The government's procurement agency has selected Linux to run its new online purchasing system. The government also says it has saved millions of dollars by using the threat of open-source migration as a bargaining tactic against Microsoft.
Italy
Rome city administrators chose open-source products to run a new city portal, following an appeal by Lucio Stanca, the country's technological innovation minister, for local governments to explore open-source alternatives.
Rome city administrators chose open-source products to run a new city portal, following an appeal by Lucio Stanca, the country's technological innovation minister, for local governments to explore open-source alternatives.
France
Paris has launched a study to determine the feasibility of migrating the city's 17,000 PCs to Linux.
Paris has launched a study to determine the feasibility of migrating the city's 17,000 PCs to Linux.
India
Some government and private agencies are experimenting with Linux on servers.
Some government and private agencies are experimenting with Linux on servers.
South Korea
The national government plans to have 20 percent of its desktop PCs and 20 percent to 30 percent of its servers running open-source software by 2007. Korea is also cooperating with China and Japan in a project to develop an open-source server operating system.
The national government plans to have 20 percent of its desktop PCs and 20 percent to 30 percent of its servers running open-source software by 2007. Korea is also cooperating with China and Japan in a project to develop an open-source server operating system.
China
The national government is funding numerous efforts to promote open-source software and was one of the first countries to require Microsoft to reveal its source code.
The national government is funding numerous efforts to promote open-source software and was one of the first countries to require Microsoft to reveal its source code.
Brazil
The national government has forged an alliance with IBM to develop open-source software.
The national government has forged an alliance with IBM to develop open-source software.
South Africa
The government's main technology council has drafted a policy that favors open-source products.
The government's main technology council has drafted a policy that favors open-source products.
Editors: Karen Southwick, Jon Skillings
Copy editors: Zoë Barton, Scott Martin
Design: Ellen Ng
Production: Mike Markovich
Copy editors: Zoë Barton, Scott Martin
Design: Ellen Ng
Production: Mike Markovich
By CNET News.com Staff
March 24, 2004 6:37 PM PST
EU slaps record fine on Microsoft
update Regulators hit the software giant with a fine of $613 million for violating European Union antitrust law and also order the unbundling of Media Player software from Windows.March 24, 2004
U.S. politicos fire at EU's Microsoft ruling
In a strongly worded letter, members of the House International Relations Committee ask regulators in Brussels to reconsider their decision to levy a record fine against the U.S.-based company.March 24, 2004
Read the official statement
The European Commission issues a summary of its findings that Microsoft broke EU competition law and that its "ongoing abuses" are squelching innovation.March 24, 2004
FAQ: What's ahead for Microsoft
What does the software giant have to do to comply with the EU ruling, and what is the impact for consumers?March 24, 2004
House letter: Windows issue 'not a concern' for EU
In a letter to the European Commission, members of Congress say that because the bundling issue was resolved by the DOJ settlement, it "should not have been an area of concern for the E.U."March 24, 2004
Monitoring the monitors
The EU's ruling in its antitrust case against Microsoft highlights the difficulties facing technical compliance officers.March 24, 2004
Intellectual-property precedent could help Microsoft appeal
A decision in an earlier European antitrust case involving the health care industry could bode well for the software maker as it prepares its appeal.March 24, 2004
Still unanswered questions in EU decision
Interpretations differ on how the European Commission's decision will affect Microsoft, consumers and competitors.March 24, 2004
Business as usual for PC makers
Despite the EU ruling, manufacturers aren't rushing to take up the option of shipping computers without Windows Media Player in Europe.March 24, 2004
Ballmer: All companies should be allowed to innovate
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer vows to fight the antitrust ruling, arguing that all companies, even ones with a near monopoly, have a right to improve their products.March 24, 2004
EU ruling could be key to Microsoft's future
The European Union's decision to force the company to unbundle its media software with Windows could limit its product strategy.March 24, 2004
A tale of two cases
news analysis European regulators are going far beyond what U.S. prosecutors agreed to. How did similar antitrust philosophies lead to divergent courses?March 24, 2004
Cropped Windows already exists
Microsoft may have set a difficult precedent for itself with a program to sell a scaled-back version of Windows XP in Thailand and Malaysia.March 24, 2004
The remedy vanishes?
The debate over the impact of the U.S. Department of Justice case reignites, as European regulators seek to impose stricter penalties against Microsoft.March 24, 2004
The full Monti
profile Flexibility and deliberation define the European Commission antitrust chief's controversial five-year reign.March 24, 2004
Coming back to haunt them
Every executive knows the risk of having old e-mails surface as trial evidence--but perhaps none so well as Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.March 24, 2004
'To heck with Mario Monti'
perspective CNET News.com's Charles Cooper voices his opinion on how Steve Ballmer should have reacted to the European Union's competition commissioner.March 24, 2004
Monti won't stall Microsoft
commentary The European Commission's ruling represents at best an annoyance to Microsoft, not a genuine barrier--even for Longhorn, Forrester says.March 24, 2004
The European Union isn't the only official agency making life difficult for Microsoft. Around the world, national and local governments are showing increasing interest in open-source software as an alternative to Windows.
Germany
The municipal government of Munich is in the midst of a program to migrate 14,000 city PCs to open-source software. The national government has also funded open-source development projects and is promoting the use of open-source products by government agencies.
The municipal government of Munich is in the midst of a program to migrate 14,000 city PCs to open-source software. The national government has also funded open-source development projects and is promoting the use of open-source products by government agencies.
United Kingdom
The government's procurement agency has selected Linux to run its new online purchasing system. The government also says it has saved millions of dollars by using the threat of open-source migration as a bargaining tactic against Microsoft.
The government's procurement agency has selected Linux to run its new online purchasing system. The government also says it has saved millions of dollars by using the threat of open-source migration as a bargaining tactic against Microsoft.
Italy
Rome city administrators chose open-source products to run a new city portal, following an appeal by Lucio Stanca, the country's technological innovation minister, for local governments to explore open-source alternatives.
Rome city administrators chose open-source products to run a new city portal, following an appeal by Lucio Stanca, the country's technological innovation minister, for local governments to explore open-source alternatives.
France
Paris has launched a study to determine the feasibility of migrating the city's 17,000 PCs to Linux.
Paris has launched a study to determine the feasibility of migrating the city's 17,000 PCs to Linux.
India
Some government and private agencies are experimenting with Linux on servers.
Some government and private agencies are experimenting with Linux on servers.
South Korea
The national government plans to have 20 percent of its desktop PCs and 20 percent to 30 percent of its servers running open-source software by 2007. Korea is also cooperating with China and Japan in a project to develop an open-source server operating system.
The national government plans to have 20 percent of its desktop PCs and 20 percent to 30 percent of its servers running open-source software by 2007. Korea is also cooperating with China and Japan in a project to develop an open-source server operating system.
China
The national government is funding numerous efforts to promote open-source software and was one of the first countries to require Microsoft to reveal its source code.
The national government is funding numerous efforts to promote open-source software and was one of the first countries to require Microsoft to reveal its source code.
Brazil
The national government has forged an alliance with IBM to develop open-source software.
The national government has forged an alliance with IBM to develop open-source software.
South Africa
The government's main technology council has drafted a policy that favors open-source products.
The government's main technology council has drafted a policy that favors open-source products.
Editors: Karen Southwick, Jon Skillings
Copy editors: Zoë Barton, Scott Martin
Design: Ellen Ng
Production: Mike Markovich
Copy editors: Zoë Barton, Scott Martin
Design: Ellen Ng
Production: Mike Markovich
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