Skip to main content

Digital Lifestyle > News

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 Microsoft trying to set own antitrust remedy, says Opera CEO

Stripping out IE from Windows 7 is an attempt to duplicate a failed remedy

Paul Meller

  • Email to a friend
  • Print this article
  • Bookmark this page
  • RSS feed

Microsoft's plan to strip out its Internet Explorer (IE) browser from Windows 7 in Europe, due for sale in the fall, is designed to force the European Commission's hand as it devises an antitrust remedy to restore fair competition in the browser market, said Jon von Tetzchner, the CEO of Norwegian browser maker Opera.

"Microsoft is trying to set the remedy itself by stripping out IE," he said in a phone interview on Friday.

Question of the day!

Mark Hattersley
Editor in Chief

Do you use Adobe Photoshop with a Wacom tablet?

Question of the day!

Do you use Adobe Photoshop with a Wacom tablet?

% of Macworld readers agree with you

Yes
TBC
No
TBC

How does a Wacom tablet improve the Photoshop experience?

124 characters remaining

Follow the conversation at @TabletChat

paintings & illustrations, mostly, which i upload to flickr.RT @fragmentedm

I draw manga/anime characters. I also do graphic design and photography.RT @spialelo

Yes. I usually put them up on my #deviantart account for feedback on how to improve.RT @spialelo

Opera complained to the Commission about the bundling of IE in Windows in 2007. The complaint sparked an antitrust probe that resulted in formal charges of monopoly abuse in January this year.

The Commission is now formulating a remedy that would include the creation of a ballot screen containing a selection of browsers for users to choose from when they install Windows on their new computers.

Von Tetzchner said such a remedy is just as important now as it was before Microsoft announced the plan to unbundle IE from the new version of the OS.

Microsoft, however, is trying to derail the process by offering a version of Windows without a browser, said Von Tetzchner. "They are trying to replicate the remedy in the media player case, which we all know didn't work."

"If Microsoft got its way there would be no ballot screen, just a version of Windows that has no browser at all -- just like the edition 'n' of Windows that resulted from the earlier European antitrust case," he said.

In that case in 2004, the Commission ruled that Microsoft had distorted competition in the market for media players by bundling its Windows Media Player into Windows. It ordered the software giant to sell a version of Windows that had the media player stripped out, as well as selling the fully bundled version of Windows.

The ruling didn't insist on a price differential between the two versions. Microsoft complied, launching Windows edition 'n' which, not surprisingly, bombed in the market.

The Commission doesn't want to make the same mistake this time, in its remedy for restoring competition in the browser market, and rival browser makers are insistent that there must be no repeat of the edition 'n' debacle.

"It's very important that there is an effective remedy for the browser market," Von Tetzchner said.

"Now that Microsoft has acknowledged it has been breaking the law by bundling IE into Windows, the Commission must push ahead with an effective remedy," he added.

A ruling by the Commission was expected late this year. Von Tetzchner said it may come sooner, following Microsoft's decision to strip out IE from Windows 7. "Their decision should make room for a faster conclusion," he said.

Microsoft explained its decision to strip out IE from the next version of its OS in Europe in a blog posting. The European Commission responded a few hours later.

Check out our new Macworld Mobile site.

Follow Macworld UK on twitter: www.twitter.com/macworlduk

Email A Friend

Email this article to a friend or colleague:



PLEASE NOTE: Your name is used only to let the recipient know who sent the story, and in case of transmission error. Both your name and the recipient's name and address will not be used for any other purpose.

<<prev article | back to news index | next article>>

Comments received


BillyMac said on Fri, 12 Jun 2009

Opera - did they not die years ago?

Gabriel said on Fri, 12 Jun 2009

BillyMac, you should visit their site and check out the Opera 10 beta, they've given it a nice visual makeover.

Windy Millar said on Sat, 13 Jun 2009

If MS don't include IE with Windows 7, how do you get online to download a browser? Are they expecting us all to have USB sticks with the browsers on them?

gregorsamsa said on Sat, 13 Jun 2009

BillyMac,

I use Opera alongside FF, Safari & Camino. IMO, excellent browser (as are the others), though not yet wholly compatible with all OS X apps. But on PC, I'd be using as much as FF.

Toto said on Sat, 13 Jun 2009

Opera is as featureless as Safari. Only FF can satisfy - oh yea baby.

Disclaimer
Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Macworld. Macworld accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content.
Click here to read the house rules.

Click here for the latest reader comments

Latest News


More news...