Antitrust trouble brewing for Microsoft in Israel
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Posted in Mac Channel, 23rd July 2003 09:56 GMT
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Israel's antitrust director has been blasted for dragging his feet over declaring Microsoft a monopoly.
In May last year Oded Lavi, of the 'Online Freedom Foundation' asked to declare Microsoft Israel a monopoly. Israel has anti-competitive legislation which alerts regulators to any vendor with over 50 per cent market share. Lavi claims that he has received no response from the Antitrust directorate general Dror Strum. An adjuication would open the door to a flood of complaints from Macintosh users.
Last year The Register highlighted how Microsoft had snubbed Arabic and Hebrew users on the Macintosh platform. An adjudication from Strum could open the floodgates for litigation from frustrated Apple users in Israel who argue that Microsoft has frozen Apple Computer out of the Israeli market.
Lavi's suit names Israel's Attorney General and Minister of Finance - but not (or at least not yet) Apple CEO Steve Jobs whose neglect of supporting the ancient languages of Arabic and Hebrew on the Macintosh has caused great dismay in the cradle of civilization. ®
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