Microsoft Runs Out of Ideas and Posts the EU Response

Microsoft made an unusual gesture yesterday and posted the company's response to the EU's accusations of not complying with the 2004 ruling.

Microsoft's spokesman, Jack Evans, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that the report was published because of concerns that the entire regulating process was not transparent enough.

"We think that this is necessary to ensure that we get a fair hearing," Evans said.

This document was filed with the EU's Competition Commission on February 15, after Microsoft had been threatened with daily fines of $2.38 million.

Prior to that date, Commission member Neelie Kroes had said that Microsoft had all the opportunities to avoid such unpleasant situations for both parties involved. But because Microsoft's reactions didn't stand up to the European officials' expectations, the fines were imminent.

Microsoft had hoped that publishing of the source code, which took many by surprise, would soften the hearts of the EU officials, but the effect was not quite the expected one. The Competition Commission said that Microsoft's reaction only made negotiations more difficult and that going through 10,000 pages of documentation would delay even more a final decision. Moreover, nobody had requested the publication of the source code, therefore the move was completely useless.

Microsoft believes that it has fulfilled all the requests made by the EU in 2004 to help rival companies develop software products which are compatible with its workgroup server software.