>> Leaked document spells out EU concerns and remedies ...
>> http://www.veryComputer.com/
>> +European antitrust enforcers may seek a massive fine from Microsoft and
>> +demand that it drop some features from its * Windows software,
>> +according to a published report citing a confidential European Commission
>> +document outlining its case.
>> ...
>> But most importantly
>> +The newspaper said the finding suggests the Europeans could seek changes
>in
>> +current and future software products to end the alleged violations.
>> Aucuns changements incompatibles de SAMBA!
>> No SAMBA incompatible changes!
>> Keine inkompatiblen ?nderungen der SAMBA!
>> Nessun cambiamenti incompatibili del SAMBA!
>> As predicted
>nz
>David, I just read your 31-Aug-01 post, and I have some questions about your
>added commentary.
>You said, "Making secret proprietary changes that introduce new
>incompatibilities
>with samba ( http://www.veryComputer.com/ ) in the NT4 and Win2k SP updates
>and the whole kerberos server incompatabilty thing.". What led you to
>believe that this was an issue the EU regulators had?
>Did they say so in their document?
From the original EU press release in august
"""http://www.veryComputer.com/
p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/01/1232|0|RAPID&lg=EN"""
+
+The European Commission has informed Microsoft Corp. that it believes that
+the US software company may have violated European antitrust rules by using
+illegal practices to extend its * position in the market for personal
+computer operating systems into the market for low-end server operating
+systems. Low-end server systems are cheaper servers usually used as file and
+print servers as well as Web servers.
Quote:>Also, wrt the Samba incompatibilities, do you know whether
>those changes broke any other SMB product?
Not sure, SAMBA is the only other SMB product I had used and keep track of.
Quote:>You also said, "IMO this is more concerned with Microsofts use of
>unpublished API OS interfaces than the bundling issue. ". Again, I'd like to
>know if this comes from the EU or from somewhere else.
Microsoft's unpublished APIs have been a major issue with a lot of
developers, since the release of windows 3.11 for workgroups.
Even Ken Wasch, president of the The Software & Information Industry
Association (SIIA), remarked on it when Microsoft started FUDing
the open source and GPL.
From "SIIA Responds to Microsoft Statement on Open Source"
http://www.veryComputer.com/
+"Furthermore, Microsoft's assertions that its business model embodies the
+open-source movement through current practices of sharing source code is
+incredulous," continued Wasch. "While it is certainly reasonable for a
+software publisher to maintain proprietary practices regarding the sharing
+of source code, it is safe to say that Microsoft shares certain, but not
+all, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and only does so when it is
+in the best interests of the company, not in the interest of dynamic
+innovation within the industry."
The press release ...
"""http://www.veryComputer.com/
p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/01/1232|0|RAPID&lg=EN"""
... covered the bundling of Mediaplayer but also included the quoted sentence
+Competing products may therefore be a priori set at a disadvantage which is
^^^^^^^^^^
+not related to their price or quality.
IMO ( In My Opinion ), given the EU Commissions realization that it is
compatibility which enables competition in the server market, it is likely
that they might also force Microsoft to document *all* and publish of the
OS APIs to better enable competition in the client market.
+Mario Monti, Competition Commissioner stated "Server networks lie at the
+heart of the future of the Web and every effort must be made to prevent
+their monopolisation through illegal practices. The Commission also wants to
+see undistorted competition in the market for media players. These products
+will not only revolutionise the way people listen to music or watch videos
+but will also play an important role with a view to making Internet content
+and electronic commerce more attractive.
Note this hints at my signture over public domaining Microsoft's own codecs and
digital media formats.
+The Commission is determined to
+ensure that the Internet remains a competitive marketplace to the benefit of
+innovation and consumers alike."
David Mohring - XP Injunction Probability 70% and rising ...
by