14 DAY TRIAL // The face off between Firefox and Internet Explorer has evolved to the next level with Mozilla jumping at Microsoft's jugular. In January 2009 the European Antitrust Commission served Microsoft with a Statement of Objections in which it concluded that the bundling of Internet Explorer 8 into Windows was a monopolistic move. The Statement of Objections presenting the preliminary conclusion that Microsoft had violated EU antitrust law by making IE a default component of Windows was served as a consequence of an anti-monopoly complaint filed by Opera in 2008. At the end of the past week, Mozilla Chief Executive Officer Mitchell Baker said that Mozilla was also ready to go against Microsoft.
“Last month the European Commission stated its preliminary conclusion that “Microsoft’s tying of Internet Explorer to the Windows operating system harms competition between web browsers, undermines product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice,” Baker stated.
“In my mind, there is absolutely no doubt that the statement above is correct. Not the single smallest iota of doubt. I’ve been involved in building and shipping web browsers continuously since before Microsoft started developing IE, and the damage Microsoft has done to competition, innovation, and the pace of the web development itself is both glaring and ongoing. There are separate questions of whether there is a good remedy, and what that remedy might be” Baker added. “But questions regarding an appropriate remedy do not change the essential fact. Microsoft’s business practices have fundamentally diminished (in fact, came very close to eliminating) competition, choice and innovation in how people access the Internet.”
Baker argued that Internet Explorer managed to gain market share through illegal practices according to U.S. Courts, and that once it gained a monopoly position over the browser market, the Redmond company stopped innovating IE. In fact, Mozilla Firefox was the first browser to erode IE's market share. At this point in time, Firefox has grown over 21.5% of the market as of January 2009, according to Net Applications, with the browser managing to gain as much as 31.1% in Europe, via xiTi Monitor.
“This does not mean Microsoft’s activities haven’t done significant damage, or aren’t still benefiting Microsoft in ways that reduce competition, choice and innovation,” Baker said. “Equally important, the success of Mozilla and Firefox does not indicate a healthy marketplace for competitive products. Mozilla is a non-profit organization; a worldwide movement of people who strive to build the Internet we want to live in. I am convinced that we could not have been, and will not be, successful except as a public benefit organization living outside the commercial motivations. And I certainly hope that neither the EU nor any other government expects to maintain a healthy Internet ecosystem based on non-profits stepping in to correct market deficiencies.”
Baker referred to Firefox as nothing more than an anomaly in Microsoft's monopoly of the browser market, but certainly not as a healthy and competitive system fostering innovation. At the same time, Baker emphasized that the damage the Redmond company has done to the browser market continues even today.
“I’ll be paying close attention to the EC’s activities, both personally and on behalf of Mozilla. Mozilla has enormous expertise in this area. It’s an extremely complex area, involving browsers, user experience, the OEM and other distribution channels, and the foundations for ongoing innovation. An effective remedy would be a watershed event; a poorly constructed remedy could cause unfortunate damage,” Baker promised.
Opera 10.0 Build 1229 Alpha / 9.63 is available for download here.
Firefox 3.1 Beta 2 / 3.0.5 / 2.0.0.20 is available for download here.
Google Chrome 2.0 is available for download here.
Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) Release Candidate 1 (RC1) is available for download here.
Internet Explorer 7 is available for download here.