The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

Microsoft faces fresh antitrust probes in Ireland and Spain

Company not expecting the Spanish Inquisition

SaaS data loss: The problem you didn’t know you had

Microsoft is facing more antitrust scrutiny as Spanish competition authorities announced an 18-month review of Redmond’s licensing practices in Spain and Ireland.

The Comisión Nacional de la Competencia (CNC) said that the investigation will look into possible restrictions on operating systems licensing in the two countries, and is not taking a mañana approach to the probe. The CNC said it has good evidence and should have the case completed in 18 months.

“This case originated in a complaint filed by Elegant Business SC for a possible breach of competition law,” the CNC said in a statement badly mangled in translation.

“In the course of the investigation of that case, the Research has had access to certain information that may be inferred the existence of prima facie evidence of the commission, by Microsoft with a violation of the Articles 1 and 2 of the Competition Act and Articles 101 and 102 TFEU as a result of actions and agreements Microsoft aimed at preventing or limiting unreasonably reselling software licenses that operator.”

The charges covered under the articles include restrictive practices (Article 101) and abuses of a dominant position (Article 102), but no other details have been given as yet. El Reg wonders if Microsoft expected the Spanish Inquisition, but it appears so, since the company issued the following statement:

“We have received the formal notice on the CNC investigation, and will work closely with the authorities on the issues in hand.”

Customer Success Testimonial: Recovery is Everything

Obligatory Python, Monty post

subhead: Company not expecting the Spanish Inquisition

Well, nobody does. Our chief strength is that of.. (and you lot all know what follows next)

4
0

Need the two be mutually exclusive?

2
0

MS, Casino's & Nevada

Microsoft is registered in Nevada for US Business Taxation purposes.

The State of Nevada imposes ZERO taxes on Business (ie. like Corporation Tax). This is due to the state giving businesses like Casino's a favourable environment to locate there.

This saves them a whole shed load of money. This runs into several billion a year.

1
0

More from The Register

Bjarne Again: Hallelujah for C++
Plus: Now officially OK to admit you never used STL algorithms
Interwebs taunt Sir Jony over Apple eye candy makeover
Hey Ive, Ive... add more unicorns, willya?
SCO vs. IBM battle resumes over ownership of Unix
Zombie lawsuit back and wants to suck the brains out of Linux
Red Hat to ditch MySQL for MariaDB in RHEL 7
So long, Oracle! Don't let the door hit you on the way out
Shy? Socially inadequate? Fiddling with your phone could help
App 'tells the brutal truth' about social inadequates' chatup lines
Java EE 7 melds HTML5 with enterprise apps
New release arrives with GlassFish, NetBeans support
Nuke plants to rely on PDP-11 code UNTIL 2050!
Programmers and their walking sticks converge in Canada
 breaking news
'Office Facebook' firm Tibbr wants you to PAY for mobe-meetings app
Great idea. Punters won't cough for it though
 breaking news
The only Waze is Google: Ad giant tipped to gobble map app 'for $1.3bn'
Pac-Man-satnav-ish upstart in bidding war with Apple, Facebook
 breaking news
PM Cameron calls for modern, programmable computers! (We think)
IT education musings to G8 chiefs to mystify IT industry