What with the steep climb of the Euro against the Dollar, I bet MS are wishing they had paid the fine the first time around...

If they lose the appeal they should be forced to pay interest on the amount from the date they committed the offense. Any bright El Reg readers able to calculate how much this would be using the European Base rate ?

No worries. Your fine is now 15 billion euros.

Does that clarify "Don't fuck with us?" enough, and do you want to try some more?

That fine should be doubled for the foot dragging fro Micro$oft!

is after all the only good solution to how to deal with Microsoft and its behaviour.

So this is why the dropped the attempt at !....

If their lawyers believe there are grounds for an appeal and there is a legal mechanism for them to pursue it, then Microsoft are just as entitled to their day in court as anyone else.

However, like anyone else appealing against a guilty verdict, they should be made to serve their sentence IMMEDIATELY and if their appeal eventually succeeds, then they can claim compensation.

The EU should be seizing MS assets to the value of the fine, or banning them from trading within the EU borders until they comply. That might make them think twice about stringing the process out and might even make them reform their anti-competitive ways.

... Microsoft should be afforded every legal opportunity to appeal the decision and to exercise their constitutional rights in seeking justice over his matter.

Of course, accordingly, all purchases of their products and services by public authorities should be unilaterally suspended, free from contractual liability, until such time as those issues are fully and finally determined... :-)

Hahaha well spotted. They are now going to have to pay far more.

Thanks for making my day!

Was so glad to discover that here we DO have principles. Microsoft's failure to realise it sooner, used to US way of thinking, cost them a pretty good amount.

Far from everything being rosy in EU, with dark examples abound, having the central Authorities demonstrate such a solid front against prominent capitalist companies gives me a feeling of hope for the future.

One wonders given the high cost of the legal shyster consultant teams ex US and Europa as well for the last four years that would have set them back somewhere between fifty and one hundred million pesetas as well so one would think that M$ is milking the whole exercise to extract the maximum tax corporate offsets possible both in the Euro and US arms for as long as possible hence the excessive feet dragging to avoid settlement for as long as possible !

money talks, and I expect them to get off. This is a mega corp we are talking about not a mum and pop store. The rules are different for them unfortunately.