128 lines
5.3 KiB
HTML
128 lines
5.3 KiB
HTML
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<html newsdate="2009-07-28">
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<title>EU browser case: FSFE says details of settlement will be crucial</title>
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<h1>EU browser case: FSFE says details of settlement will be crucial</h1>
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<p>Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) congratulates the European
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Commission on its firm stance in the antitrust investigation against
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Microsoft, which has led the company to offer a settlement. For any
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such settlement, getting the details right will be crucial for
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competition and innovation in the web browser market.</p>
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<p>"To ensure genuine consumer choice, the ballot screen must be made
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available to Microsoft Windows users around the world, not just in
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Europe", says Karsten Gerloff, President of FSFE. "The company is
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upholding its dominance thanks to the network effects created by its
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illegal practice of bundling Internet Explorer with Windows operating
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systems in all markets where it sells its software. In a globally
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interconnected market, remedies must be global."</p>
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<p>As an interested third party in the case, FSFE maintains that any
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settlement must put competing browsers on an equal footing with
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Internet Explorer. They must be accessible just as easily as
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Microsoft's own browser, and must provide users with at least the
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same degree of integration into the operating system.</p>
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<p>The procedure for selecting the browsers to be included in the ballot
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screen is a key issue of the proposal. This procedure needs to be
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based on a clearly defined algorithm, closely controlled by the
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European Commission.</p>
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<p>"Simply including browsers according to usage share would freeze the
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market in its current state, rather than invigorate it. Instead,
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market trends and cross-platform availability of each browser should
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be the key parameters for this selection", says Adriaan de Groot,
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FSFE's Legal Coordinator.</p>
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<p>FSFE will continue to support the European Commission in its
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effort to bring fair access, competition and innovation to the web
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browser market. FSFE considers anti-competitive behaviour
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unacceptable, whether it occurs through 'tying' products, or in
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circumventing standards and fair access.</p>
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<p>FSFE promotes freedom of choice and protects Open Standards. This
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includes working against abuse of standards through proprietary
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extensions that unlawfully segment the Internet. FSFE welcomes the
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participation of any company in the browser market, including the
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optimisation of their products to work well on target platforms.</p>
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<p>But no company should be in a position to dictate what the Internet
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will look like by leveraging platform dominance into erosion of
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standards through control of server and client.</p>
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<p></p>
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<p>For FSFE's previous statement on this issue please see:</p>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="https://lists.fsfe.org/pipermail/press-release/2009q1/000228.html">Web browser interoperability: FSFE welcomes EC's decision and offers support</a></li>
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<li><a href="https://lists.fsfe.org/pipermail/press-release/2009q1/000231.html">FSFE engages in the EU browser case</a></li>
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</ul>
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<p>For FSFE's letter to the European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes please see:</p>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="https://download.fsfe.org/policy/letters/20071219-opera-antitrust.pdf">https://download.fsfe.org/policy/letters/20071219-opera-antitrust.pdf</a></li>
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</ul>
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<h2>Background</h2>
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<p> FSFE previously supported the European Commission's DG Competition
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in its 2001 investigation against Microsoft's non-disclosure of
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interoperability data. This was the first time the Free Software
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community became involved in such a case, and helped lead to a final
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decision in 2004 against Microsoft demanding that interoperability
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information be made public.
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</p>
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<p> The ruling was upheld by a 2007 ruling at the European Court of
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First Instance, and eventually, Samba and the entire community
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received access to the interoperability information upon conditions
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compatible with the GNU General Public License, which is now being
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implemented into better and more interoperable software that will
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benefit the entire IT ecosystem.
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</p>
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<h2>About the Free Software Foundation Europe:</h2>
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<p> The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is a non-profit
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non-governmental organisation active in many European countries and
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involved in many global activities. Access to software determines
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participation in a digital society. To secure equal participation in
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the information age, as well as freedom of competition, the Free
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Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) pursues and is dedicated to the
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furthering of Free Software, defined by the freedoms to use, study,
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modify and copy. Founded in 2001, creating awareness for these
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issues, securing Free Software politically and legally, and giving
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people Freedom by supporting development of Free Software are
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central issues of the FSFE.</p>
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<h2>Press contact:</h2>
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<ul>
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<li>Karsten Gerloff,<email mailto="yes">gerloff@fsfe.org</email>, +49 176 9690 4298</li>
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<li>Adriaan de Groot, <a href="mailto:groot@fsfeurope.org">groot@fsfeurope.org</a></li>
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<li>Carlo Piana, <a href="mailto:carlo@piana.eu">carlo@piana.eu</a></li>
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</ul>
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</body>
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<tags>
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<tag key="policy"/>
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<tag key="european-commission">European Commission</tag>
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<tag key="microsoft"/>
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<tag key="antitrust"/>
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</tags>
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</html>
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