Microsoft to give access to code

re-posted from Sarai [Commons-Law] list. Link to a BBC article published today here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4649348.stm and an older BBC article from December which might help give the background on why Internet Explorer (TM) doesn't work very well with this website : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4555378.stm

Microsoft to give access to code

Microsoft has said it will give rival softwarecompanies access to parts of the source code for itsWindows operating system.The concession was made in response to a 2004 EuropeanUnion (EU) anti-trust ruling which ordered the companyto share its code with competitors.

It came three weeks ahead of the EU's compliancedeadline, which threatened fines of 2m euros (£1.4m;$2.4m) a day.

The code will help rivals make their softwarecompatible with Microsoft's.

"Today we are putting our most valuable intellectualproperty on the table so we can put technicalcompliance issues to rest and move forward with aserious discussion about the substance of the case,"said Microsoft's legal chief, Brad Smith.

Record fine

The compliance deadline was set in December when theEuropean Commission said that Microsoft's offer of12,000 pages of documentation and 500 hours of freetechnical support was not adequate.

The landmark 2004 ruling said the world's biggestsoftware company was guilty of abusing its positionand hit Microsoft with a record 497m euros fine,telling it to open up its operating systems.

Microsoft said that the latest concession went "farbeyond" the 2004 decision.

It maintains that it has tried to comply with the EU'sdemands, but says that Brussels keeps changing itguidelines.

The EU's second highest court, the European Court ofFirst Instance, will hear Microsoft's appeal againstthe 2004 ruling in April.