New Case Against Microsoft Brought To European Commission
The Dutch software dealer HW Trading has proffered a complaint concerning Microsoft's marketing practices to the European Trade Commission. The reason: Microsoft has for years been selling its products at a higher price in Europe than it does in America.
A report on the Dutch news platform Webwereld says that lawyers of HW boss Samir Abdalla, have brought claims that Microsoft's price policy is in breach of Articles 81 and 82 of the European Community Treaty. According to the report, Microsoft had accused Abdalla of illegal license sales in California to the sum of 3.8 million dollars.
Abdalla is hitting back by bringing his case before the EU's Trade Commissioner, Neelie Kroes. Kroes is known for championing open trade standards and in the past, her department has not shied away from punishing Microsoft with million dollar fines.
The Dutch business man says he can provide enough documentation to support his claim. He compared Microsoft's US and European dealer price lists between 2004 and 2008 and found prices for identical products to be 30 to 50% higher in Europe. Coupled with Microsoft's 95% market share for its Office products, the price discrepancy represents an abuse of its market-leading position.
Because of the similarity of markets in the US and Europe, Microsoft cannot in this case claim special conditions, for example, cheaper labour costs, says the report, and currency fluctuation is not an issue because the European price lists are also in US Dollars. Also, Abdalla sees the anti-piracy rules, under which he faces charges in America, as an attempt by Microsoft to stem the legal parallel trade. Abdalla's arguments go further: Microsoft forbids the distribution of its operating system on CD or DVD, so that consumers who buy a new PC are unable to use the previous license. All this constitutes commercial abuse, says Abdalla.
If the EU Commission agrees with his arguments and finds European consumers and companies at a grave disadvantage remains to be seen, but any decision most likely will have no influence on Microsoft's case against HW Trading in the US.
Issue 270/2023
Buy this issue as a PDF
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Find SysAdmin Jobs
News
-
CarbonOS: A New Linux Distro with a Focus on User Experience
CarbonOS is a brand new, built-from-scratch Linux distribution that uses the Gnome desktop and has a special feature that makes it appealing to all types of users.
-
Kubuntu Focus Announces XE Gen 2 Linux Laptop
Another Kubuntu-based laptop has arrived to be your next ultra-portable powerhouse with a Linux heart.
-
MNT Seeks Financial Backing for New Seven-Inch Linux Laptop
MNT Pocket Reform is a tiny laptop that is modular, upgradable, recyclable, reusable, and ships with Debian Linux.
-
Ubuntu Flatpak Remix Adds Flatpak Support Preinstalled
If you're looking for a version of Ubuntu that includes Flatpak support out of the box, there's one clear option.
-
Gnome 44 Release Candidate Now Available
The Gnome 44 release candidate has officially arrived and adds a few changes into the mix.
-
Flathub Vying to Become the Standard Linux App Store
If the Flathub team has any say in the matter, their product will become the default tool for installing Linux apps in 2023.
-
Debian 12 to Ship with KDE Plasma 5.27
The Debian development team has shifted to the latest version of KDE for their testing branch.
-
Planet Computers Launches ARM-based Linux Desktop PCs
The firm that originally released a line of mobile keyboards has taken a different direction and has developed a new line of out-of-the-box mini Linux desktop computers.
-
Ubuntu No Longer Shipping with Flatpak
In a move that probably won’t come as a shock to many, Ubuntu and all of its official spins will no longer ship with Flatpak installed.
-
openSUSE Leap 15.5 Beta Now Available
The final version of the Leap 15 series of openSUSE is available for beta testing and offers only new software versions.