Microsoft Faces $7.4 Billion Fine Over Browser Ballot Screen

By | September 25, 2012 | 6 Comments

Microsoft Faces $7.4 Billion Fine Over Browser Ballot ScreenEven though it took people two years to notice that the screen was gone.

Just some time ago, we have reported that the supposed ballot screen for the EU version of the Windows 7 was not actually enabled due to the glitch in the system.

Now, the European Competition Commissioner, Joaquin Almunia, has stated that they need to “react” to Microsoft’s misstep, suggesting tremendous fines for the software giant.

“The fault is there, it has been there for more than a year and it is clear that we need to react. It is not only the distortion of competition during this period which concerns us; it is very serious, from my point of view, that the remedies imposed on Microsoft have not been applied.”

Based on the current agreement, the fine could be as large as $7.37 billion (10 percent of the annual turnover), which does not really excite MSFT shareholders.

Unfortunately, there is no timeframe on when and how the situation will be resolved.

[Via cNET]


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Vygantas is a former web designer whose projects are used by companies such as AMD, NVIDIA and departed Westood Studios. Being passionate about software, Vygantas began his journalism carrier back in 2007 when he founded FavBrowser.com. Having said that, he is also an adrenaline junkie who enjoys good books, fitness activities and Forex trading.

  • http://twitter.com/ShaneGowland Shane Gowland

    What a load of crap. Microsoft should tell the EU to stick it. What are they going to do, ban Microsoft from operating in Europe? That would mean seriously harming the millions of companies that rely of Microsoft to support critical software.

    • http://twitter.com/bricky149 Shane Bundy

      The fine is absolutely ridiculous. Only because the EU are running out of money themselves.

    • Tiago Sá

      They can’t ban software because that would be censorship. We don’t have none of that over here in Europe. So the range of stuff they can actually do suddenly becomes much scarier to Microsoft. As in, stop all government partnerships… Oh, the billions Microsoft would loose.

      • http://twitter.com/ShaneGowland Shane Gowland

        Probably still be less than 7.4 billion. Governments aren’t known for their IT spending. Especially broke governments like those that populate the eurozone.

  • rennmaxbeta

    Reading the headline, I’m surprised to find this wasn’t initiated by Apple.

  • ACE

    I use IE8 on XP and IE9 on Windows 7,,, no one forced me to do that but the fact is Firefox and Chrome have integration issues and unnecessary bloatware masquerading as apps/addons/whatever. IE8 (and above) with the right tweaks, is a really good browser that takes nothing away from the browsing experience

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