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Microsoft Can't Bully Europe, EU Warns of Further Fines - Philip White
He's considered one of the richest men in the world and now claims to be one of it's biggest philanthropic benefactors. I'm referring to Bill Gates, founder of Redmond, Washington-based software maker, Microsoft Corporation, who is finding that he can't bully Europe after the European Commission warned that his company is subject to much stiffer fines, as much as euro3 million (US$4 million) a day, claiming Microsoft was still not offering a fair deal to rivals.All I can say is, "cheers" to Neelie Kroes, EU Competition Commissioner, for standing up to the American software maker.
The row started back in 2004, when the EU fined Microsoft 497 million euros for violating European anti-trust policy. Of course Microsoft rejected the claim and last year, Kroes' Commission told Mr. Gates his company would have to pay daily fines adding up to 280.5 million euros over a six-month period after it failed to adhere to the 2004 ruling.
Microsoft's lawyers called the claim "unreasonable", though it's done little to sway the EC into caving to the American software company's wishes, as did the US Federal Courts when anti-trust lawsuits were filed against Microsoft. Apparently, in the US you can buy your way out of it more easily than in Europe. But for Microsoft, it's a new lesson in dealing with the relatively young European Union.
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