european

Last week Microsoft announced it would try its best to avoid antitrust charges in Europe by shipping Windows 7 without Internet Explorer 8 . Unfortunately, it seems few abroad are satisfied with that move. Some felt it was a gracious move by the ... Redmond-based company, which has been under antitrust investigation by the European Union since complaints were first made in 2001. EC: Still Not Enough Surprisingly, European regulators still aren't impressed. In a statement released over the weekend, the European Commission rejected Microsoft's offer, stating that it felt the move would not increase ... (view more)

Microsoft has received more plenty of flak from its competitors and European investigative bodies over its inclusion of the Internet Explorer browser with each copy of Windows. Now it appears the Redmond-based company has decided to make things ... right, sort of, by not including IE in a 'special' version of Windows 7. According to reports, Microsoft will call the special version of its much-anticipated operating system Windows 7 E. This IE8-free edition of the OS is a reaction to antitrust investigations into Microsoft's traditional inclusion of Internet Explorer with its uber-popular operating ... (view more)

According to reports, the European Commission will soon begin an investigation into the British government's use of Internet surveillance. It could result in the government being forced to defend its policy on Internet privacy in front of European ... judges. Ironically, the investigation isn't a result of U.K. data retention laws . The legal action resulted over Internet Service Providers (ISPs) using controversial behavorial advertising without consent from their customers. EU Wants "Clear Consent" from Users According to the report , the European Union (EU) wants "clear consent" from ... (view more)

The European Commission has once again attacked Microsoft for bundling Internet Explorer with Windows. The EU (European Union) body recently ruled in principle that such behavior breaches European competition laws. The ruling concludes a year-long ... investigation which is the latest in a series of battles between European regulators and Microsoft. In one case, involving the inclusion of Windows Media Player in Windows, Microsoft was fined a total of $745 million. The European Commission is the executive wing of the European political system: it carries out the laws made by politicians. Its new ... (view more)

European mobile phone users should see the cost associated with 'texting' other countries on their continent drop by around two-thirds if regulators have their way. The European Commission is to crack down on network carriers which charge 'rip-off' ... prices when sending a text message (also known as an SMS) to somebody in another country. According to the European official in charge of telecoms, Viviane Reading, texts from one country to another cost more than 10 times as much as those sent domestically. She says the fees carriers impose are around 32 times the actual costs they incur in ... (view more)

Microsoft could be in even more trouble with European Union competition regulators after a complaint by a British government agency. The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA), which oversees computer purchasing in schools ... and colleges, says Microsoft Office doesn't work smoothly enough with other programmes. They argue that Microsoft should use the independent OpenDocument format which makes it easy to transfer files such as spreadsheets or word documents between rival software packages. Microsoft has its own 'open' format, Office Open XML, but critics say it's too ... (view more)

Microsoft has withdrawn the last two challenges to a European Union (EU) antitrust order, closing the books on its past legal fights and instead focusing on avoiding future trouble with European regulators. The lengthy, brutal war between Microsoft ... and the European Commission has cost hundreds of millions of dollars in fines. Exhausted, Microsoft has reportedly yielded and pledged to comply with key parts of a 2004 antitrust decision upheld by an appeals court last month. Microsoft dropped a challenge to the 280.5 million euros ($357 million) fine imposed by regulators in July 2006 for not ... (view more)

Apple has finally brought the iPhone, or perhaps just the rights to one, to Europe. While the iPhone won't officially go on sale until November, those who were in attendance at the unveiling said that the multi-modal phone is already being ... well-received by the public. Seemingly every major mobile network operator from Europe's most influential cities have lined up for their chance to hold the exclusive rights to the product when it hits retail shelves in just a few months. As it stands right now, O2 will hold the exclusive rights to the product in Britain, while Telefonica will bring the ... (view more)

In a ruling that's expected to have far-reaching implications, the European Union (EU) Court of First Instance upheld European Commission claims that Microsoft abused their dominant position in the operating system (OS) market, siding with ... regulators in an antitrust case. The law suit began in early 2004. (Source: CNET News ) "The court ruling is welcome for its confirmation of the Commission's decision and its underlying policy, but nevertheless, it is bittersweet, because the court has confirmed the Commission's view that consumers are suffering at the hands of Microsoft" said Neelie Kroes ... (view more)

Apple and several major music labels will find themselves under the gun later this month as they take part in the European Commission (EC)'s antitrust hearings. The hearings, scheduled for September 19 and 20, will be a forum for the EC's concerns ... over unfair pricing and sales practices in the European iTunes Store. Representing the next step in the investigation, the EC has emphasized that the hearings will not lead directly to a judgment. The EC has not yet set a date for a final decision. (Source: arstechnica.com ) The EC accused music labels EMI, Universal Music Group, Sony BMG and Warner ... (view more)