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Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Tech / Money EU Fines Microsoft $731 Million for Violating Prior Antitrust Agreement

Posted by Goldy on Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 8:37 AM

The European Union has fined Microsoft $731 million for breaking a 2009 antitrust agreement in which it promised to offer Windows customers a choice of web browsers:

"If companies agree to offer commitments which then become legally binding, they must do what they have committed to do or face the consequences," Joaquin Almunia, the EU's competition commissioner, told a news conference.

"I hope this decision will make companies think twice before they even think of intentionally breaching their obligations or even of neglecting their duty to ensure strict compliance."

Microsoft said it took full responsibility for the incident, which it has blamed on a technical error. The board cut chief executive Steve Ballmer's bonus last year partly as a result.

I dunno, I'm pretty sure if I cost Tim $731 million I wouldn't be getting any bonus this year.

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Comments (16) RSS

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CEOs don't play by the same rules.

Posted by Hanoumatoi on March 6, 2013 at 8:47 AM

The Euro-socialists are just trying to steal money to pay for their abhorrent financial crisis.

Goldy, the benevolent Socio-dictator of Europe would say:
"Look...over there...a rich and prosperous American company. Quick...get their money!"

Posted by GeneStoner on March 6, 2013 at 8:59 AM

Sure. They cut his bonu$ from $100 million to $99.99 million--oh the pain! The pain!

Posted by Original Andrew on March 6, 2013 at 9:04 AM

Presumably Ballmer gets such a huge bonus because giving him a bonus based on a percentage of his salary would seem paltry. Not many minimum wage workers get a performance bonus that doubles their pay. And yet some still argue that he should pay the same percentage of his income in taxes as a McDonald's worker. It's a question of basic fairness, right?

Posted by fletc3her on March 6, 2013 at 9:14 AM

@2 - So Microsoft is admitting full repsonsibility for breaking a legally binding agreement and that means they're being stolen from.

Okay.

Posted by Pridge Wessea on March 6, 2013 at 9:18 AM

Tim Cook has overseen the loss of tens of billions of dollars as far as their stock value is concerned and yeah its a sure bet he'll get a bonus.

Posted by Kinison

on March 6, 2013 at 9:19 AM

No Pridgee, Goldy the wannabe benevolent-socialist-dictator is saying that.

"The European Union has fined Microsoft $731 million ..."
Why couldn't it have been less? Seems like that (arbitrary $#) settlement really put the EU down the road to solvency. Thanks Microsoft!

Posted by GeneStoner on March 6, 2013 at 9:30 AM

@5 Please ignore GeneStoner. He's one of our new NRA sponsored trolls who magically appeared when Reddit started linking to SLOG's posts about gun violence.

Posted by Sir Vic on March 6, 2013 at 9:31 AM

I really don't get how this ruling stands while the cell phone biz is curtailing customer choice in ways light years beyond.

Posted by mayberrymachiavelli on March 6, 2013 at 10:08 AM

I don't understand something...

Since Windows XP it seems, you've been able to install other browsers besides IE and that's been true with Windows sold for non U.S. markets I think. Then you get the prompt of whether you want to make xxx your default browser.

Posted by raindrop on March 6, 2013 at 10:13 AM

Three quarters of a billion? That's absurd.

Posted by Pope Peabrain on March 6, 2013 at 11:00 AM

What you don't get is that the worst CEO of Microsoft in their history gets more than that each month just in profit on his holdings.

Looking forward to the garage sale to pay for this.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on March 6, 2013 at 11:02 AM

@9,

In the EU or here? Because if you're talking about here, that's easy to answer: no one in government gives a fuck.

Posted by keshmeshi on March 6, 2013 at 11:15 AM

@10: Not since Windows XP. Since always. I remember running Netscape on Windows 3.1.

Posted by Ben on March 6, 2013 at 11:16 AM

@3, @4 Ballmer's compensation is actually pretty low compared to most high flying CEOs. In 2012, his salary was $685K with a $620K bonus. Of course, he owns a ton of stock though.

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/10…

Posted by decidedlyodd on March 6, 2013 at 1:30 PM