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Microsoft Agrees to Browser Choice for Europeans, Avoids Fines

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 16, 2009 - 10:27am.
Brussels - In a move to avoid potentially millions in antitrust fines, Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) has agreed to allow over 100 million European consumers using its Windows operating system to choose from a list of 12 Web browsers, rather than be directed to its own Internet Explorer by default. "Millions of European consumers will benefit from this decision by having a free choice about which web browser they use. Such choice will not only serve to improve people's experience of the internet now but also act as an incentive for web browser companies to innovate and offer people better browsers in the future," said EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes.

The agreement officially ends all outstanding antitrust charges lodged by the EU against Microsoft.

Under the agreement, beginning in March European Windows users will see a "Choice Screen" upon launch, asking which of 12 Web browsers they'd like to use to access the Internet.

Included on that list will be Internet Explorer, in addition to Mozilla's Firefox, Apple's (NASD: AAPL) Safari and Google's (NASD: GOOG) Chrome.

The Commission said that Microsoft's tying Internet Explorer to Windows "offered an artificial distribution advantage not related to the merits of its product on more than 90 per cent of personal computers," adding that "this tying hindered innovation in the market and created artificial incentives for software developers and content providers to design their products or web sites primarily for Internet Explorer."

 

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/tpz2a (EU statement)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091216/ap_on_hi_te/eu_eu_microsoft

Published in DMW Daily, December 16, 2009
tags: Law | Lawsuits | Microsoft | Windows | EU | Firefox | Safari | Internet Explorer | Chrome |



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