Microsoft's squeaky-clean image took quite a beating this week: not only was the company accused of "
patent terrorism," its Hungarian offices were raided in an antitrust investigation. Hungarian officials at the state competition authority GVH say Microsoft abused its market position to put the squeeze on local distributors, and that the raid was necessary to find evidence of "a system of conditions or favors with the most significant software distributors" that made it "disadvantageous for them to sell competing products." The investigation is slated to take up to 180 days before authorities have to either file or ask for an extension. Microsoft says it's "cooperating fully," but hasn't issued any further comment -- which is interesting, because you'd think the PR staff would have some stock answers to European antitrust
investigations by now.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ryan10ad @ Jul 27th 2007 7:09AM
I knew that tip off payed off.
L. Cyphre @ Jul 27th 2007 7:22AM
Hell yeah!
Also, in before Europe bashing.
Ian @ Jul 27th 2007 8:32AM
That's good! Microsoft is finally being being investigated in Hungary for what it's been doing for so long worldwide.
And is it irony or simply coincidence (or neither) that this is occurring in Hungary, where Intel's former head, Andy Grove, was born?
michael @ Jul 27th 2007 8:47AM
Well, they could just open up an Apple store maybe? Exactly what do they want? Microsoft's not really a monopoly if people do truly have choices.
I don't know how Microsoft in Hungary is like, but it's very likely Microsoft Hungary, and the country Hungary itself are different from the U.S., so their ties to the U.S. Microsoft would be pretty weak.
balint @ Jul 27th 2007 9:03AM
well to tell the whole turth, the small enterprise that reported MS to the authority is the re-seller and developer for Sun's staroffice (openoffice), but they are too marginal in market share; and they wanted to partner with MS resellers, who refused their deal because of MS's exclusive partnership programme.
anyway Hungary, the state itself has a nationwide licence with MS (worth ~200m in USD/year) for the use of MS operating systems and office applications for the state, the scientific and the teacher community.
and yes, Hungary is the place were from Neumann, Andy Groove (Gróf), Charles (Károly) Simonyi EXILED (guess why).
Ben H @ Jul 27th 2007 9:08AM
@balint
Don't you know that telling the whole truth about Microsoft or any of their products is strictly not allowed here at engadget.
David @ Jul 27th 2007 9:27AM
There's no point in seizing any documents -- how will anyone be able to read them? Everything's written in Hungarian notation!
quiksr20 @ Jul 27th 2007 9:35AM
Everyday I hear another story about the EU ANTITRUST This and That. If you dont like our products or have so many problems than dont buy our stuff.
Its as simple as that, Im tired of every other day I have to hear about these WHINEY Europeans complaining and crying me a river.
You dont hear the US saying. USA Antitrust investigation on ( insert your euro brand here )
And im not anti-european if that even exists i would love to goto Europe one day and love alot of euro things as in cars music culture etc but this is too much..
fahnboi @ Jul 27th 2007 12:47PM
you would love to goto europe huh? hmm... sounds like the only place you'll be goingto is your parentsbasement
what is it about nationalism that goes hand-in-hand with
quiksr20 @ Jul 27th 2007 2:10PM
faboi? The place is my parents basement? What the hell does that have to do with anything?
Do you see say a company like Cadillac filing for anti-trust and complaing cause BMW has a better car etc etc?
I really dont understand your comments care to explain?
gfar @ Jul 27th 2007 10:02AM
I'm just happy they were able to use the word terrorism. Makes altering code sound so much more exciting.
fistpittingnork @ Jul 27th 2007 10:47AM
Who wants to go lollerblading?
BananaBoat @ Jul 27th 2007 7:18PM
If Open Office didn't suck so much, maybe Sun would have an easier time getting people to adopt it. Really though, how is Microsoft a monopoly? Noone is keeping people from using Linux or OSX. People use Windows because they WANT to use Windows, not because anyone is making them. Hungary should be happy enough that they even have a Microsoft office in their backwater country, and they should leave Microsoft alone.
Andrew @ Jul 27th 2007 10:29PM
Backwater? Get the fuck outta here
Balazs @ Jul 29th 2007 9:06AM
I agree with Andrew. As a Hungarian living aborad, but frequently visiting the country I can assure you it is not backwater. Maybe if your pompous (and I presume American) ass could realise that actually visit a country before you call it backwater.
No, no-one is making them use windows, however they have little choice. If I ask any person on the street what Mac or Linux is they'd probably have no clue. In our local eletronics retailer (in Debrecen), there is ONE macbook compared to about 50 windows laptops and PC's. Even then most people would igonre it because they are scared of using something they have never tried and rightly fear it will be incompatible with other accessories they might buy. If they have a problem with it, their computer 'expert' may not have a clue how to fix it and they'd be dead in the water if they were not clued in on the technology front.
So how about actually knowing what you speak about before opening that vile mouth of yours?
Someone @ Jul 27th 2007 8:04PM
And Steve Jobs goes, "YES!"