(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)
As a result of a complaint made by the Norwegian web browser developer Opera Software ASA, the European Commission will examine under the antitrust regulation Microsoft's abuse in distributing the browser Internet Explorer with the Windows operating system.
Opera Software states that Microsoft does not follow accepted web standards and therefore hinders programme developers in making programs that work with each other. In spite its many innovations in the field, the Norwegian company, although successful in making browsers for mobile phones, has failed to gain a share of the browser market on the Internet which is dominated by Microsoft's Internet Explorer. "Microsoft's unilateral control over standards in some markets creates a de facto standard that is more costly to support, harder to maintain, and technologically inferior and that can even expose users to security risks," argued Opera.
This action follows the sucessfull one taken by EU antitrust authorities which determined the unbundling of Media Player from Windows operating system, in October this year.
The complaint issued by Opera is supported by ICT software and hardware providers such as Oracle, Nokia, Adobe, IBM and by the European Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS). Thomas Vinje, ECIS spokesman and legal councillor stated in a press release on 13 December 2007: "By tying its Internet Explorer product to its monopoly Windows operating system and refusing to faithfully implement industry-accepted open standards, Microsoft deprives consumers of a real choice in internet browsers".
Related to this complaint, Microsoft commented: "We will, of course, cooperate with any inquiries into these issues, but we believe the inclusion of the browser into the operating system benefits consumers, and that consumers and PC manufacturers already are free to choose any browsers they wish".
During a press briefing on 12 December 2007, Jonathan Todd, the spokesman for Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes stated that the Commission would examine the complaint but that it was too early to make any "intelligent comment".
Opera complains to EU about Microsoft's IE bundling (13.12.2007)
http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_7712063?nclick_check=1
A new EU competition case looms for Microsoft (14.12.2007)
http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/new-eu-competition-case-looms-m...
EDRi-gram: EU court confirms the 497 million euro fine against Microsoft
(26.09.2007)
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number5.18/microsoft-decision-tpi