14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is tame enough on the European market to be considered a good lapdog for the EU Antitrust Commission. The Redmond Company has found Europe to be a cruel mistress and a happily ever after marriage doesn't seem to be anywhere near in the proximity. Case in point, the same old March 2004 Commission ruling that Microsoft fails to comply to, even to this date.
At the beginning of May, the EU Commission released a Statement of Objections to Microsoft associated with the company's unreasonable pricing for interoperability information lacking significant innovation. The Commission was not shy about threatening Microsoft with additional fines for non-compliance with achieving the disclosure of "accurate interface documentation on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms."
Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes had said at that time: "Microsoft has agreed that the main basis for pricing should be whether its protocols are innovative. The Commission's current view is that there is no significant innovation in these protocols. I am therefore again obliged to take formal measures to ensure that Microsoft complies with its obligations."
Initially, Microsoft looked like it would dispute the Commission's Statement of Objections, but that is not the case. The Redmond Company submitted a response to the European Commission's Statement of Objections (SO) of March 1, 2007, yesterday, April 23, 2007. Microsoft's response is focused on the Workgroup Server Protocol Program.
According to Microsoft, WSPP is in compliance with the Commission's March 2004 decision to deliver the Windows Server protocol technologies on "reasonable and non-discriminatory terms." Microsoft has stated that it will undertake the path of dialog instead of seeking oral hearing for the Statement of Objections.
"We continue to seek to resolve these recent issues. We need greater clarity on what prices the Commission wants us to charge, and we believe that is more likely to come from a constructive conversation than from a formal hearing," commented Brad Smith, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Microsoft Corporation.