34596071
submission
a_n_d_e_r_s writes:
The ongoing sage since 2004 about Microsoft then misuse of dominant position in the EU marketplace to block competitors may be finally over and the fine has been set to 860 million euro (just over 1 billion dollars). In 2004 Microsoft was ordered to provide certain information to competitors but failed to do so and was given an hefty fine. Now the EU General Court in Luxemburg has upheld the EU Commission decision and ruled against Microsoft.
6830226
submission
a_n_d_e_r_s writes:
The battle was hard but the final text do ensure that people in EU are not disconnected from the Internet without a chance to get a prior fair and impartial hearing. The important part are:
"Accordingly, these measures may only be taken with due respect for the principle of presumption of innocence and the right to privacy. A prior fair and impartial procedure shall be guaranteed, including the right to be heard of the person or persons concerned, subject to the need for appropriate conditions and procedural arrangements in duly substantiated cases of urgency in conformity with European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The right to an effective and timely judicial review shall be guaranteed."
This means that if someone is accused of copyright infringement they can't just be disconnect from Internet. It let the accused get a chance to disagree and take it to court before being disconnected. The urgency clause also means that if a computer is part of a ongoing DDOS it can get disconnected from the Internet. Now this has to be implemented into the EU nations own national law so the final ruling how this will be implemented is not out yet. But overall it looks like a great success in stopping informal three strikes and then you are disconnected since it gives the consumers the right to stop this by going to a court of Law too keep their Internet connection.
You can read the full text on Christian Engströms Pirat MEP blogg at http://christianengstrom.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/telecom-package-final-agreed-text/
Now only the administrative tasks to get a final approval from the member countries ministers and the EU parlament — but that looks to be like more of a formality then a real hinder since the text has been approved by all important parties in these assemblies.
268127
submission
a_n_d_e_r_s writes:
The vote on OOXML looked fairly secured for a No vote in Sweden. Most in the Working Group In Sweden was against the vote to approve OOXML. Suddenly on the day of the vote more companies showed up at the door, some 20 more companies — each one payed about $2500 to be allowed to vote — and vote they did. Most of the new companies was strangely enough partners from Microsoft who suddenly out of the blue joined the working group, payed membership fees and voted yes for approval.
From being a fairly negative group the working group suddely had a huge majority of yay-sayers who voted for Sweden to approve OOXML as an ISO standard.
For those that want to buy the Swedish vote on an ISO standard — it only cost about $50 000 — its not too much money for anyone that want there own bought and payed for ISO standard.
This has started to brew in Sweden and the newspapers are right now starting to write about the coup against the SIS — Swedens Standards Institute http://www.sis.se/ . The workings groups position can be changed if the power to be at SIS wants to — so its not over yet.
OS2World writes about it:
http://www.os2world.com/content/view/14868/1/
Patrik Fältströms blogg about it:
http://stupid.domain.name/node/382
