Comments on: Big Fines — Not Fine! http://www.freedomtalks.org/2008/02/29/big-fines-not-fine/ The FreedomWorks blog dedicated to lower taxes and more freedom. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:12:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Sickle http://www.freedomtalks.org/2008/02/29/big-fines-not-fine/#comment-77302 Sickle Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:24:45 +0000 http://www.freedomtalks.org/2008/02/29/big-fines-not-fine/#comment-77302 You know, after Kinnan's scaremongering and his other cliches about EU bureaucrats, etc., I find that I must take back a statement I made earlier. Suderman's the smartest and best blogger here, not Kinnan. You know, after Kinnan’s scaremongering and his other cliches about EU bureaucrats, etc., I find that I must take back a statement I made earlier. Suderman’s the smartest and best blogger here, not Kinnan.

]]> By: Mister Guy http://www.freedomtalks.org/2008/02/29/big-fines-not-fine/#comment-77075 Mister Guy Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:46:45 +0000 http://www.freedomtalks.org/2008/02/29/big-fines-not-fine/#comment-77075 "not let your competitors leech off of your work." Tell that to the dude who started Apple...you know...the guy that Bill Gates ripped off in the first place. "how do you reconcile monopolies with free markets?" I'm going to guess that they don't reconcile them...they defend the de-facto monopolies like Microsoft, which is wrong IMO. “not let your competitors leech off of your work.”

Tell that to the dude who started Apple…you know…the guy that Bill Gates ripped off in the first place.

“how do you reconcile monopolies with free markets?”

I’m going to guess that they don’t reconcile them…they defend the de-facto monopolies like Microsoft, which is wrong IMO.

]]> By: Leonardo http://www.freedomtalks.org/2008/02/29/big-fines-not-fine/#comment-77031 Leonardo Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:49:55 +0000 http://www.freedomtalks.org/2008/02/29/big-fines-not-fine/#comment-77031 Well, it is sad that the european union is the one doing the job that the FTC was supposed to do long ago. On one hand it is obvious that European regulators love to target american companies (just look at all the silly processes against apple, google, intel and microsoft) it is just natural, protectionism at its biggest expresion. On the other hand, how do you reconcile monopolies with free markets ? I want an honest answer Mr Suderman. Microsoft is a convicted monopoly, and in this fine in particular it was abusing certain patents to charge outrageous sums of money for access to licenses for communication protocols with its servers, effectively closing down any competition and by extension defeating the purpose of a free market. If you bother to research the subject you will notice that Microsoft had several years to address the issues from the European Union but it choose not to do so until the last minute. The amount of the fine is the sum of the daily penalties that were agreed upon. So while I agree that the Europeans are using protectionist tactics, I have no sympathy for a monopoly being fined for not abiding to the rules of the markets it wants access to (i.e the european one). It is up to microsofot, if they don't like it they are not forced to sell their products in europe, the beauty of freedom. Well, it is sad that the european union is the one doing the job that the FTC was supposed to do long ago. On one hand it is obvious that European regulators love to target american companies (just look at all the silly processes against apple, google, intel and microsoft) it is just natural, protectionism at its biggest expresion.

On the other hand, how do you reconcile monopolies with free markets ? I want an honest answer Mr Suderman.

Microsoft is a convicted monopoly, and in this fine in particular it was abusing certain patents to charge outrageous sums of money for access to licenses for communication protocols with its servers, effectively closing down any competition and by extension defeating the purpose of a free market. If you bother to research the subject you will notice that Microsoft had several years to address the issues from the European Union but it choose not to do so until the last minute. The amount of the fine is the sum of the daily penalties that were agreed upon.

So while I agree that the Europeans are using protectionist tactics, I have no sympathy for a monopoly being fined for not abiding to the rules of the markets it wants access to (i.e the european one). It is up to microsofot, if they don’t like it they are not forced to sell their products in europe, the beauty of freedom.

]]> By: Chris Kinnan http://www.freedomtalks.org/2008/02/29/big-fines-not-fine/#comment-77015 Chris Kinnan Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:30:36 +0000 http://www.freedomtalks.org/2008/02/29/big-fines-not-fine/#comment-77015 And now the EU bureaucrats are going after Intel...this stuff strikes me as naked protectionism. And now the EU bureaucrats are going after Intel…this stuff strikes me as naked protectionism.

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