Source files of fsfe.org, pdfreaders.org, freeyourandroid.org, ilovefs.org, drm.info, and test.fsfe.org. Contribute: https://fsfe.org/contribute/web/
https://fsfe.org
You can not select more than 25 topics
Topics must start with a letter or number, can include dashes ('-') and can be up to 35 characters long.
65 lines
2.9 KiB
65 lines
2.9 KiB
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> |
|
|
|
<html> |
|
<version>1</version> |
|
|
|
<head> |
|
<title>News - FSFE calls on Microsoft to release interoperability information without restrictions</title> |
|
</head> |
|
|
|
<body> |
|
<h1>FSFE calls on Microsoft to release interoperability information without restrictions</h1> |
|
|
|
<p>The European Commission has fined Microsoft 899 million Euro for |
|
anti-competitive behaviour by restricting access to interoperability |
|
information through unreasonable royalty payments prior to October |
|
2007. This is in addition previous fines of 497 million Euro and 280 |
|
million Euro applied in the same investigation, resulting in a total |
|
penalty of 1.676 billion Euro.</p> |
|
|
|
<p>"Microsoft is the last company that actively promotes the use of |
|
software patents to restrict interoperability. This kind of behaviour |
|
has no place in an Internet society where all components should connect |
|
seamlessly regardless of their origin," says Georg Greve, president of |
|
the Free Software Foundation Europe.</p> |
|
|
|
<p>"The idea that interoperability information for software can be |
|
restricted by software patents is simply unacceptable," comments Shane |
|
Coughlan, head of FSFE's Freedom Task Force. "The Commission is now |
|
recognising this issue in the context of understanding that patent |
|
royalties can distort the market. We have to ensure that such |
|
distortion does not occur again. If Microsoft wants to act in good |
|
faith it should release all the interoperability information for its |
|
products on a royalty free basis."</p> |
|
|
|
<p>"Microsoft have abused their monopoly position to prevent competition |
|
and choice," says Jonas Oberg, vice-president of Free Software |
|
Foundation Europe. "Yesterday's decision by the Commission is step |
|
towards correcting this but Microsoft are still reaping the benefits of |
|
their abuse. We need to act to restore a free market in European software."</p> |
|
|
|
<p>Context: <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/318&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">The European Commission press release</a>.</p> |
|
|
|
<p>About the Free Software Foundation Europe:</p> |
|
|
|
<p class="aboutfsfe">The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is a non-profit |
|
non-governmental organisation active in many European countries and |
|
involved in many global activities. Access to software determines |
|
participation in a digital society. To secure equal participation in |
|
the information age, as well as freedom of competition, the Free |
|
Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) pursues and is dedicated to the |
|
furthering of Free Software, defined by the freedoms to use, study, |
|
modify and copy. Founded in 2001, creating awareness for these issues, |
|
securing Free Software politically and legally, and giving people |
|
Freedom by supporting development of Free Software are central issues |
|
of the FSFE.<br/> |
|
<br/> |
|
Further information: https://fsfe.org</p> |
|
</body> |
|
|
|
</html> |
|
<!-- |
|
Local Variables: *** |
|
mode: xml *** |
|
End: *** |
|
-->
|
|
|