And you thought Windoze crashed a lot
Maybe the EU should put all that rarefied brainpower of theirs to work and write their own Intel-based operating system and GUI, instead of forcing Microsoft to give away trade secrets to second rate European companies.Shudder. For one dark second, I imagined what an OS designed by the EU might look like.
On the topic of the EU fining Microsoft $1.3 Billion for making a product that too many people in their controlled territory like to use.
Speaking of the EU, I guess that life must be pretty sweet in Europe if this is all the courts over there have to worry about.
The European Court of Justice ruled that only the crumbly cheese that has been made for 800 years near the Italian city of Parma can legally be called Parmesan.
The court criticized Germany for allowing sales of imitation “Parmesan” in violation of E.U. food-origin rules.
Wait until the Swiss get wind of this! They’ll have a monopoly!
And don’t forget those Germans and their chocolate cake!
Thanks for my morning chuckle ……
The Europeans are still fighting the old wars of centuries gone by, for example, where the King of Bavaria may have been insulted by a Belgian brewer copying a formula for beer and declared war.
The EU itself is a farce, just over a dozen nations making nice and spreading Socialism, but still looking for ways to stab each other in the back. In the USA, we had our War Between the States, but it was between only two factions. In Europe, each country is a faction, some two (Belgium), and they ALL stab each other in the back.
If I were Microsoft, with 30,000 code slammers at my disposal, I would insert a code in the next Update that would, at a time certain in the future, freeze every MS computer physically located in Europe, and put an indelible message on the screen to the effect of “Sue This!”.
Simultaneous with the freezing of those millions of computers, I would announce that the EU had abrogated their rights to use Microsoft Operating Systems.
As their stock markets crash and their commerce goes into the toilet (and none of their gamers can play online anymore unless they have Macs or Unix machines), I’d make them an offer they can’t refuse. We’ll restore every computer if, and only if, the EU Parliament meets in extraordinary session (if anyone can get there, their computer-aided transport dispatch centers will be toast as well) and apologizes, pays Microsoft a 5 billion royalty IN GOLD BULLION, and agrees to stay out of Microsoft’s product distribution forever, and binds all it’s member nations to do the same.
I too think Microsoft is a pirate outfit, but they are legal pirates according to the rules of business. They are certainly no more pirate-ish than the oil companies.
That said, we need to use this outstanding opportunity to teach the EU a lesson in messing with US commerce: it’s best NOT to do it.
Yes, and New York steak!
and Belgian Waffles!
Actually, they’ve been doing the food orgin thing for years.
That’s why only sparkling wine for the specific region of France can be called Champagne. Same for Bordeaux, Burgundy, etc.
Stupid.
I think rather than pay the fine, MS should just stop selling their OS in the EU.