Who Really Won in Microsoft vs. the EU?

Published: Oct 25, 2007
Updated: Feb 2, 2021
1 minute read
eWeek Inhalte und Produktempfehlungen sind redaktionell unabhängig. Wir können Geld verdienen, wenn Sie auf Links zu unseren Partnern klicken. Mehr erfahren

My colleague over at Microsoft Watch, Joe Wilcox, declared that “Microsoft bowed before the EU and took its whipping.” Eh, after a couple of days to look at the decision, I dont think so. At best, Id say the European Union got the more favorable end of a draw.

To refresh your memory, heres the background. The EU opened a series of anti-monopoly investigations against Microsoft starting in 1999. The EU found that Microsoft had abused its dominance of the operating systems market both by tying WMP (Windows Media Player) to Windows and by failing to release information about Windows to competitors in the server market.

After long talks with Microsoft, the EU gave up trying to get Microsoft to be cooperative and slapped the company with a 497 million euro fine in March 2004.

/zimages/1/28571.gifRead the full story on Linux-Watch:Who Really Won in Microsoft vs. the EU?

/zimages/1/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest open-source news, reviews and analysis.

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

I'm editor-at-large for Ziff Davis Enterprise. That's a fancy title that means I write about whatever topic strikes my fancy or needs written about across the Ziff Davis Enterprise family of publications. You'll find most of my stories in Linux-Watch, DesktopLinux and eWEEK. Prior to becoming a technology journalist, I worked at NASA and the Department of Defense on numerous major technological projects.

eWeek Logo

eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site's focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

Eigentum von TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Werbetreibenden-Offenlegung: Einige der auf dieser Website erscheinenden Produkte stammen von Unternehmen, von denen TechnologyAdvice eine Vergütung erhält. Diese Vergütung kann beeinflussen, wie und wo Produkte auf dieser Website erscheinen, einschließlich beispielsweise der Reihenfolge, in der sie erscheinen. TechnologyAdvice schließt nicht alle Unternehmen oder alle auf dem Marktplatz verfügbaren Produkttypen ein.