Tag: antitrust
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An interview with Martin Mills
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Andrew Orlowski
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It’s the conventional wisdom amongst some Reg readers that “the evil record labels” are dying, and deservedly so. But such a simplified view of the world overlooks the contribution of the independent sector – which operates very differently to the Big Four. Independents have a different business model, and have embraced digital networks as an…
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How Web 2.0 concentrates power, and makes Microsoft stronger
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Andrew Orlowski
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One IT Manager, bemoaning his lot to me, recently compared the rise of Web 2.0 enthusiasts to the problem the Police has with Freemasons. The blog and wiki evangelists within are not as secretive, of course, but they’re equally cult-like: speaking their own language, and using the populist rhetoric of “empowerment” for relentless self-advancement. He…
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Why ‘Microsoft vs Mankind’ still matters
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Andrew Orlowski
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For all but three of the past 17 years, Microsoft has been involved in antitrust litigation with government agencies. That’s enough to wear anyone down. But as Europe’s highest appeals court delivered its judgement on Monday, I did notice some ennui – not from dogged old hacks, but from a new generation of pundits. Take…
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Yes, we have no incompatibilties
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Andrew Orlowski
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Savour this irony. Last week, we learned that incompatibilities Microsoft hadn’t written into its operating system posed a grave threat to users. Last week, we also learned that genuine incompatibilities Microsoft had deliberately written into its operating system posed no threat at all.… Read More
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When Google sneezes, does the internet get flu?
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Andrew Orlowski
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Much of the web-based new economy hinges on the behaviour of how one company deals with two mammoth challenges next year. Both are potentially lethal, and a poor response to either will have dire consequences for many operations doing business on the internet. Fortunately, that company is supremely well-equipped to deal with problems of a…
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Addicted to antitrust, Microsoft outlines 12-Step Recovery
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Andrew Orlowski
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Antitrust addict Microsoft has outlined a 12-Step Recovery Program, which it says will help prevent it from lapsing back into anti-competitive practices in the future. The declaration follows three major “interventions” in fifteen years. A 1991 investigation by the Federal Trade Commission resulted in a Consent Decree signed in 1995. A 1997 investigation by the…