EU gives final chance to Microsoft


The US may have decided that the world's largest software company is in the clear, but the EU has a different take, according to this article from BBC News.

Their focus, quite happily for me, is Windows Media Player (that bastion of proprietary digital rights management, with which Microsoft is trying to dominate content) and also the low end server software market.

According to the article (and additionally this additional article from the San Jose Mercury News), the remedies proposed are as follows:

  • Microsoft would be required to reveal specific software code to allow competitors' server software to be fully interoperable with Windows PCs and servers.
  • Microsoft would be required to sell a version of Windows without Windows Media Player or incorporate additional media players (such as Real Networks and Apple's QuickTime) into the packaging.
  • Pay a fine of up to 10% of their annual revenues until they are in compliance.