Windows 7 More Microsoft competitors join European

On April 15, the European Commission (EC) granted a request by the European Committee for Interoperable Programs (ECIS) to become an interested third-party in the current browser-bundling situation involving Microsoft.ECIS is definitely an association whose members consist of a number of Microsoft rivals, including Adobe,Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007, Corel, IBM, Nokia, Opera,Office Professional, Oracle,Windows 7 Pro Product Key, RealNetworks and Sun.Microsoft also has long been granted a second extension — until April 28 — in its deadline for responding to the EC;s statement of objections, issued in January. (A statement of objections is roughly equivalent to a preliminary finding.) Originally, Microsoft had until April 21 to make its situation regarding its business practice of such as Internet Explorer with Windows. Microsoft has argued inside the past the its browser is surely an inextricable part of its operating system.ECIS joins Mozilla and Google as other entities which have been granted third-party status in the situation — the result of an antitrust complaint lodged by Opera against Microsoft in December 2007. The EC said in its preliminary conclusion it believed Microsoft;s tying of IE to Windows harmed competition among Web browsers and reduced consumer choice.In March, Microsoft acknowledged that it is adding the ability to remove IE from Windows 7, a feature that will debut first in the Release Candidate build of Windows 7 that Microsoft is expected to make available to the public in May. Windows 7 is widely expected to ship this fall.Given the EC;s past record when it comes to Microsoft-related actions, I;d be very surprised if Microsoft had luck in getting the EC to reconsider its preliminary conclusion. Whether the EC considers the new “remove IE” checkbox option to become remedy enough will be interesting. If the growing quantity of Microsoft competitors have their say, I;d bet other additional remedies (plus fines) will be required of Microsoft, too.Antitrust cases are supposed to become about proving harm to consumers. Do you feel that Microsoft;s policy of bundling IE with Windows can be shown to get harmful to users — and not just Microsoft;s competitors? If it were any court other than the EC,Purchase Office 2007, I;d say proving that contention might be tough. But in this court, all bets are off….Update (April 20): Now the Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) may be granted third-party status in this case, as well. ACT will be, as it always is,Purchase Office 2010, supporting Microsoft and its arguments.