Antitrust Complaint Filed Against Microsoft in Europe… Again

Doesn’t this sound a bit familiar? A Dutch software dealer filed an antitrust complaint against Microsoft with the European Commission. The dealer is complaining that Microsoft’s pricing policy in Europe violates antitrust laws. Apparently, this dude and MS have some history as he was sued by MS in May for piracy.

According to Abdalla's lawyers, the price difference between Europe and the U.S. is between 30 percent and 50 percent. "The evidence is fairly clear," van der Wal said. "There is a huge price difference, and Microsoft uses its intellectual property to control that."

meh
nothing stops people launching legal cases (there have been enough fucked up stupid legal cases launched in the US), its how far this goes that counts

roll on the EU hating...

lol stupid

Of course it costs more in Europe. MS had to pay more in fines and additional taxes there.
Don't tell me that people in Europe do not expect any and all costs incurred by a company to be passed on to the consumer. Who do they think actually pay fines, and taxes? In the end it is the consumer that does, always the consumer.

I think MS needs to pull the plug in Europe/Asia and let them run Linux F Them all over there, god damn i thought the people in the US were sue happy but maybe that tide is turning.

Originally Posted by GORANKAR

Of course it costs more in Europe. MS had to pay more in fines and additional taxes there.
Don't tell me that people in Europe do not expect any and all costs incurred by a company to be passed on to the consumer. Who do they think actually pay fines, and taxes? In the end it is the consumer that does, always the consumer.

I dont have any problems with prices of MS software but some companies want people outside USA (Australia, EU etc.) to pay double of what customers in USA are paying (+ TAX ).

Of course it costs more in Europe. MS had to pay more in fines and additional taxes there

We can stomach the extra in taxes, no problem. But some of the US companies prices are well out of whack and are blatantly ripping us off. When the new photoshop was released a month or two back it was cheaper to get a flight to America and buy the software in the states than it was in the UK.

As for the fines, the ridiculous prices were there before the big fines

Originally Posted by Rebel44

I dont have any problems with prices of MS software but some companies want people outside USA (Australia, EU etc.) to pay double of what customers in USA are paying (+ TAX ).

MS is recouping the fines and higher taxes they are made to pay overseas. Then you figure in the often rapidly changing exchange rates, and the fact that there are now more middlemen, (importers, exporters, customs, whorehouses, etc) all wanting a cut or fee, and you end up with higher prices. Sucks to be sure, but criminally unfair on MS's part, not in my opinion.

That's wharehouses, not whorehouses, jeesh where is my mind today.

So what, is this guy pissed because his previous grey market to counterfiet funding for terrorists scheme got taken down by MS?

Sometimes it amazes me what people will do for money.

Originally Posted by GORANKAR

Of course it costs more in Europe. MS had to pay more in fines and additional taxes there.
Don't tell me that people in Europe do not expect any and all costs incurred by a company to be passed on to the consumer. Who do they think actually pay fines, and taxes? In the end it is the consumer that does, always the consumer.

I can't agree in this case. I lie to call the VAT, taxes etc. "EU ripoff tax". Like you say, it's added to everything:

A GTX260 is about $210 in the states (without MIR, special offers etc. at the Egg) and about $270 - $300 (depending on brand) in Sweden ~ 30 to 50% more expensive (the difference between a 4870 512MB in Sweden and the US is about the same)

A Q6600 CPU (boxed) is $190 at the egg, $208 in Sweden ~ 10% more expensive

Logitech MX Revolution mouse is $85 at the Egg, $100 in Sweden ~ 18% more expensive

Far Cry 2 game is $43.99 at the Egg, and $49 in Sweden ~ 11% more expensive

Now for Windows Vista Ultimate retail:
At the Egg, it's $268. In Sweden, it's $600, or 224% more expensive

Something is obviously wrong.

When I upgraded to Vista (Home Premium) I actually bought it from an online store in the US and had it shipped to Sweden. The price of the retail version, including international shipping, ended up being about the same as I would have paid for an OEM version had I bought it here. This is obviously a problem for European computer stores as they lose customers to stores overseas and especially, to piracy.

This isn't the first time Microsoft has done this. There was a similar situation with the XBox360 until they suddenly slashed prices by 50% without warning. This obviously caused sales to go up dramatically.

Originally Posted by Rebel44

I dont have any problems with prices of MS software but some companies want people outside USA (Australia, EU etc.) to pay double of what customers in USA are paying (+ TAX ).

Originally Posted by Toytown

We can stomach the extra in taxes, no problem. But some of the US companies prices are well out of whack and are blatantly ripping us off. When the new photoshop was released a month or two back it was cheaper to get a flight to America and buy the software in the states than it was in the UK.

As for the fines, the ridiculous prices were there before the big fines

Maybe I'm missing something here, but how does the prices that Adobe and other charge you have anything to do with Microsoft and why they should be sued over prices?

Perhaps I would agree if it was just MS. However, a lot, if not most other software is also much, much higher as well. Adobe products, and to a lesser extent games, and other soft ware, are far more expensive abroad than they are in the US. You are correct, something is wrong, but I don't think we can say it is MS, or rather we can't say it is just MS.

Originally Posted by eeyrjmr

meh
nothing stops people launching legal cases (there have been enough fucked up stupid legal cases launched in the US), its how far this goes that counts

roll on the EU hating...

meh, he's been using Microsoft products anyways. He's only suing because he's angry he got caught pirating them. Double standards.

Originally Posted by eeyrjmr

meh
nothing stops people launching legal cases (there have been enough fucked up stupid legal cases launched in the US), its how far this goes that counts

roll on the EU hating...

Its got to do with how far previous cases went that were complete bs. That is why when people see this bullshit we call shins. Windows N? anyone?

Bitching about price because the EU has MS by the balls.

Ahh shit. I here the bandwagon whistle blowing, I'd better hop on it.

I'll say what I always say:

Microsoft Windows EU Edition. Its coming...

lol

Originally Posted by BBA

So what, is this guy pissed because his previous grey market to counterfiet funding for terrorists scheme got taken down by MS?

Sometimes it amazes me what people will do for money.

Yeah, because anyone with a middle eastern name is a terrorist.

Originally Posted by Riftsaw

I'll say what I always say:

Microsoft Windows EU Edition. Its coming...

lol

There's already an EU edition.

Originally Posted by Azhar

There's already an EU edition.

Its a running gag from the earlier antitrust suit. Then again thats not really explaining much either...