CFI Microsoft Judgment: 'A Great day for European Businesses and Consumers'

CFI Microsoft Judgment: 'A Great day for European Businesses and Consumers'

September 17, 2007

    LUXEMBOURG, Sept. 17 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- "This
is a great day for European businesses and consumers,"
said Thomas Vinje, ECIS Spokesman and Legal Counsel.
"At long last, this decision opens the prospect for
dynamic competition in the software industry. No more user
lock-in, no more monopoly pricing."

    "The European Commission, Commissioner Kroes,
former Commissioner Monti and their officials are to be
praised for their vision and persistence in the face of
nearly ten years of foot-dragging by Microsoft."

    "The time has now come for Microsoft to obey the
law. No more blaming the Commission for lack of clarity,
nor more excuses about complexity. The provision of
interoperability information is common software industry
practice. Microsoft knows full well what is required and
how to provide it and now just needs to do it."

    "But equally important, this landmark judgment
sets a clear standard for Microsoft's future conduct, and
empowers the European Commission to impose it in the
European market when necessary. Moreover, the judgment is
fully consistent with Court jurisprudence which since the
1970s has shown that the Commission has consistently and
appropriately applied European antitrust law in IT markets
to ensure fair competition based on
interoperability."

    "This decision means that no company, especially
one with a super-dominant position, is above the
law."

    About ECIS

    ECIS is an international non-profit association founded
in 1989 that strives to promote market conditions in the ICT
sector allowing vigorous competition on the merits and a
diversity of consumer choice. ECIS has actively represented
its members on many issues related to interoperability and
competition before European, national and international
bodies, including the EU institutions and WIPO. ECIS'
members include large and smaller information and
communications technology hardware and software providers
Adobe, Corel, IBM, Linspire, Nokia, Opera, Oracle,
RealNetworks, Red Hat, and Sun Microsystems.


    For more information, please contact:

     ECIS media desk at Burson-Marsteller
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail] / [e-mail]