EU slams Microsoft with 497.2 million euro fine

[BFG]

The European Union has hit Microsoft with a record fine of 497.2 million euros (US$611.8 million) for violating antitrust laws, reports Reuters. The company has four months to change the way it does business in Europe and the EU commission "ordered the unbundling of Windows Media Player within 90 days and required that 'complete and accurate' information be given to rival makers of computer servers within 120 days."

Fantastic... that is rather a lot of money, even for the big boys as fines go thats quite inpressive. Maybe opens a door for Unix (including OSX) to really hit home in the EU

[Mr. Lothario]

     Maybe if it were a 497 billion Euro fine, it would mean something. Bill Gates could find $611 million in his couch.

[BFG]

Lol i can just see it... one of his cronies burrowing down under the cusions looking for a few mislaid notes ... if he couldn't quite get enough there's always the loose change in his pockets

[crypt]

Or he could open up his wallet and still have enough to pay these 300 times. Maybe he'll just grab the entire thing not count it and say have it.

[th.Sentinel]

I've read somewhere that if he drops a 500$ note, he doesn't have to bother picking it up because he makes 3 times the money in the time he picks it up.

(ps: Crypt, your sig is wrong BTs server changed from 152 to 50 )

[|MP|Buccaneer]

I'm of mixed emotions about this one.

While I'm always happy to see Bill Gates and Microsuck lose, I really wonder at the basis of the anti-trust suit from the EU.  The reason I say this is because if they can do it to an import, without showing how Microsuck hurt EU companies directly, I have a big big issue with it.  That's a little too much power over an import product, IF that's the case.

I need to find some of the actual decision documents, not the news clippings, so I can figure it out for myself.