antitrust

Microsoft says it will add the "browser ballot" to European copies of its upcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS). Many observers believe the idea stems from an ongoing investigation of antitrust abuse by the Redmond, Washington-based firm. The ... browser ballot allows Windows 8 users to choose their Internet browser the first time they fire up the new OS. First Browser Ballot Bungled, Badly While Windows 8 is new, the browser ballot idea is not. It was first used with European copies of Windows 7 after smaller browser companies (like Opera or Mozilla) complained that Microsoft was monopolizing ... (view more)

The U.S. Department of Justice (US DOJ) and several states have requested an extension of restrictive antitrust oversight of Microsoft Corp. An 18 month extension was requested by the DOJ and 17 U.S. states, including New York and California, in ... order to 'thoroughly scrub' technical documentation Microsoft is producing to comply with antitrust law. The DOJ's restrictive oversight of Microsoft was first implemented in 2002 as part of an antitrust settlement that required Microsoft to produce reams of technical documentation designed for enabling rivals to design compatible products with ... (view more)

At least 51 separate civil antitrust actions against Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices/ATI Technologies (AMD/ATI) alleging price-fixing in the graphics processing unit (GPU) market received a major boost when emails from competing executives ... suggesting how to keep prices high were read during a recent hearing. The cases assert price-fixing in various types of computer chips, flat panel screens and cathode ray tubes. U.S. District Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of California (in San Francisco) berated defense lawyers for trying to keep what they consider trade secret documents ... (view more)

In a ruling that's expected to have far-reaching implications, the European Union (EU) Court of First Instance upheld European Commission claims that Microsoft abused their dominant position in the operating system (OS) market, siding with ... regulators in an antitrust case. The law suit began in early 2004. (Source: CNET News ) "The court ruling is welcome for its confirmation of the Commission's decision and its underlying policy, but nevertheless, it is bittersweet, because the court has confirmed the Commission's view that consumers are suffering at the hands of Microsoft" said Neelie Kroes ... (view more)