Microsoft plans to file next week its formal appeal of a European Union ruling that the software giant violated antitrust law and should be fined and made to curtail its business practices.
Microsoft had vowed to appeal as soon as the decision was announced last March. In its decision, the EU fined Microsoft a record 497 million euros ($607 million) and also ordered it to offer a version of Windows without a bundled media player. The EU also ordered the company to disclose more technical information to rivals. "We intend to file our appeal sometime next week," Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler said Wednesday.
Microsoft's appeal will be to the Court of First Instance in Luxembourg. The company has contended that the decision would harm its ability to innovate. "We look forward to filing our appeal and believe we have a very strong case to present to the court," Desler said. European regulators have said they believe that the ruling will hold up to any legal challenge.
News source: C|Net News.com
Microsoft had vowed to appeal as soon as the decision was announced last March. In its decision, the EU fined Microsoft a record 497 million euros ($607 million) and also ordered it to offer a version of Windows without a bundled media player. The EU also ordered the company to disclose more technical information to rivals. "We intend to file our appeal sometime next week," Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler said Wednesday.
Microsoft's appeal will be to the Court of First Instance in Luxembourg. The company has contended that the decision would harm its ability to innovate. "We look forward to filing our appeal and believe we have a very strong case to present to the court," Desler said. European regulators have said they believe that the ruling will hold up to any legal challenge.
News source: C|Net News.com
What's New in This Release:
· [+] Mail Chat (Tools|Mail Chat)
· [+] Chat Virtual folders for watching conversation threads or waiting for replies to specific messages
· [+] "Utilities|Create a Quick Template" menu command in the message editor to quickly create a QT based on the selected text
· [+] (#0001869) New Window Split Mode - Full-width Message List
· [+] Automatic filtering on IMAP
· [+] Customizable hotkeys for next/prev folder tab (Edit shortcuts/MainMenu/Specials)
· [+] It is now possible to re-filter only selected messages
· [+] Message Editor (using MicroEd) has new status - AutoFormat, AutoWrap, JustifyOnWrap, AutoSpell
· [+] Possibility to insert a line divider in HTML editor
· [+] URLs of incoming messages are added to the log
· [+] Possibility to open URLs by double click from the account's log viewer
· [+] Smartpad.ini: [Options] Taskbar = 1 - shows smartpad in taskbar
· [+] Support of ImagesPDSF.MSL file for translating smileys (see the Beta distribution file)
· [+] VF message DblClk - opens VF folder view; Ctrl+DblClk - Follows message; Shift+DblClk - opens folder view
· [+] Viewing account's log window is no longer modal
·
· [ * ] (#0002992) UTF-7/8 decoding is now much faster
· [ * ] It is now possible to log manual refiltering
· [ * ] Search options in the Accont Log View pop-up menu
· [ * ] The current folder was removed from the Unread tab when new mail was received
· [-] (#0001633) Character set detection bug in PGP/MIME messages
· [-] (#0001742) Unread messages were loaded and treated as read during refiltering process
· [-] (#0002259) Embedded image files were multiplicated at each [auto] save
· [-] (#0002653) Account tree nodes' states were not stored correctly
· [-] (#0002673) Selected shortcuts for Send/Queue in the message editor weren't remembered
· [-] (#0002716) Access Violation error while search in a deleted folder
· [-] (#0002764) The "l" LDAP attribute was not processed
· [-] (#0002922) Deleted messages counters were not updated in the Folder Maintenance Centre
· [-] (#0002951) Access Violation error when selecting folders for search in message reminder
· [-] (#0002955) Generic view mode setting is not saved, previous setting is used after restart
· [-] (#0002972) Account tree expand, when you open the account properties
· [-] (#0002997) Split mode - full width msg list - msg preview toggle one way
· [-] (#0003005) Virtual Folders think they're Normal Folders is VF name and Directory are not the same
· [-] (#0003026) Option "Edit | Select all" doesn't work in HTML editor, Ctrl+A works
· [-] (#0003027) MessageFinder does not "Follow"
· [-] (#0003038) Using "IMAP Folder management" deletes account level VFs
· [-] IMAP folder management could fail to see some folders on some IMAP servers
· [-] No duplicates of message in chat folders
· [-] Some other minor fixes
Had the EU simply levied a fine, Microsoft probably would have paid it with no more than the grumbling one could expect from somebody who'd just been forced to submit to that kind of legal extortion.
But no, these goofs just had to be bigshots by trying to show Microsoft who's the boss. Well, they've stuck their collective noses where they don't belong; I hope Microsoft gives them the massive nosebleed they so richly deserve.
Of course I hope that Microsoft will teach them a lesson!!!!
99,99% of the public is behind Microsoft, but no, the court had to issue this ridiculous ruling...
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