Comments on: Microsoft Owes the EU $2.5 Billion, More for Patent Abuses http://techrights.org/2008/02/27/microsoft-loses-two-cases/ Free Software Sentry – watching and reporting maneuvers of those threatened by software freedom Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:00:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Roy Schestowitz http://techrights.org/2008/02/27/microsoft-loses-two-cases/comment-page-1/#comment-6237 Roy Schestowitz Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:52:17 +0000 http://boycottnovell.com/2008/02/27/microsoft-loses-two-cases/#comment-6237 Assuming Microsoft buys Yahoo (which hopefully it will not), then according to Microsoft Watch, the company's debt would exceed $10 billion. From memory, according to another source, it would be more like $20+ billion. Since Yahoo assets are mainly staff and Web pages, there's not much to liquidate like a hard essets and if you drive away users (Flickr comes to mind) and employees (*NIXers and BSDers), then you're left overpaying and losing value in the investment. Microsoft needs Yahoo despite the fact that it makes no financial sense. It's a case of hurting Google more than a case of lifting Microsoft. <font size="4"><em>"They [Microsoft] have the deepest of pockets, unlimited ambition, and they are willing to lose money for years and years just to make sure that you don't make any money, either."</em></font> <p align="right"> --<font size="3">Robert X Cringely</font> </p> http://blog.businessofsoftware.org/2007/07/cringely-the-un.html (good read) Assuming Microsoft buys Yahoo (which hopefully it will not), then according to Microsoft Watch, the company’s debt would exceed $10 billion. From memory, according to another source, it would be more like $20+ billion.

Since Yahoo assets are mainly staff and Web pages, there’s not much to liquidate like a hard essets and if you drive away users (Flickr comes to mind) and employees (*NIXers and BSDers), then you’re left overpaying and losing value in the investment.

Microsoft needs Yahoo despite the fact that it makes no financial sense. It’s a case of hurting Google more than a case of lifting Microsoft.

“They [Microsoft] have the deepest of pockets, unlimited ambition, and they are willing to lose money for years and years just to make sure that you don’t make any money, either.”

–Robert X Cringely

http://blog.businessofsoftware.org/2007/07/cringely-the-un.html (good read)

]]> By: Rui Miguel Silva Seabra http://techrights.org/2008/02/27/microsoft-loses-two-cases/comment-page-1/#comment-6226 Rui Miguel Silva Seabra Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:50:28 +0000 http://boycottnovell.com/2008/02/27/microsoft-loses-two-cases/#comment-6226 I retract myselft. At Groklaw you can read a transcript http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080227141558652 ... of the interview to Neelie Kroes: http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/ebs/schedule.cfm?date=02/27/2008#s68899 And Neelie says that this 899M€ are on top of other fines. Total value is 1676700€ in 3 fines. This is over 2.5kM USD (this is US billion, for those who can count it's thousands of millions ;)) I retract myselft.

At Groklaw you can read a transcript
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080227141558652

… of the interview to Neelie Kroes:
http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/ebs/schedule.cfm?date=02/27/2008#s68899

And Neelie says that this 899M€ are on top of other fines. Total value is 1676700€ in 3 fines. This is over 2.5kM USD (this is US billion, for those who can count it’s thousands of millions ;) )

]]> By: Rui Miguel Silva Seabra http://techrights.org/2008/02/27/microsoft-loses-two-cases/comment-page-1/#comment-6225 Rui Miguel Silva Seabra Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:36:14 +0000 http://boycottnovell.com/2008/02/27/microsoft-loses-two-cases/#comment-6225 Well, they are not paying one euro cent so far, even though they claimed they wouldn't fight it anymore. So let's see how much they end up paying :D However, European Commission's press release does talk about 899M €. Well, they are not paying one euro cent so far, even though they claimed they wouldn’t fight it anymore.

So let’s see how much they end up paying :D

However, European Commission’s press release does talk about 899M €.

]]> By: Roy Schestowitz http://techrights.org/2008/02/27/microsoft-loses-two-cases/comment-page-1/#comment-6200 Roy Schestowitz Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:14:51 +0000 http://boycottnovell.com/2008/02/27/microsoft-loses-two-cases/#comment-6200 As shown earlier today (<a href="http://boycottnovell.com/2008/02/27/salesforce-just-silverlight/" rel="nofollow">NYT loves Microsoft's WPF</a>), there's reason to suspect that New York got the more convenient exchange rates. <code>[sarcasm /]</code> Microsoft will try to slink away from this, <a href="http://boycottnovell.com/2007/12/01/antitrust-letters-doj/" rel="nofollow">as it does every time</a> (mind the rebellious teenager analogy). As shown earlier today (NYT loves Microsoft’s WPF), there’s reason to suspect that New York got the more convenient exchange rates. [sarcasm /]

Microsoft will try to slink away from this, as it does every time (mind the rebellious teenager analogy).

]]> By: Rui Miguel Silva Seabra http://techrights.org/2008/02/27/microsoft-loses-two-cases/comment-page-1/#comment-6198 Rui Miguel Silva Seabra Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:36:33 +0000 http://boycottnovell.com/2008/02/27/microsoft-loses-two-cases/#comment-6198 It seems it's 1.3 thousand millions of Dollars (899 millions of Euros), so NY Times might have it wrong... http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/318&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en It seems it’s 1.3 thousand millions of Dollars (899 millions of Euros), so NY Times might have it wrong…

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/318&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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