So the convicted monopolist has now entered a 12 step program to recovery. Microsoft published a set of 12 tenets to govern their future behavior. I echo the sentiments of Mary Jo Foley – “Don’t be fooled: There are no real concessions in Microsoft’s ballyhooed golden rules of engagement.”
If you read through the Windows Principles document, you will realize that there is nothing new here. Microsoft had to follow all of these tenets ever since they were convicted by the DOJ for their monopolistic practices. The only thing this document outlines to me is that all the Microsoft critics were RIGHT all along. And all those protests by Microsoft and its shills such as John Carroll were nonsense. Can someone please explain to me – if Microsoft was the poor victim and everyone was picking on them just for being successful as was argued for years – why publish a document such as this? Why not another press release protesting their innocence? You think the billions of dollars in antitrust lawsuits and the continuing investigations by governement agencies such as the EU, South Korea, et al has something to do with it?
When I read a Principle like “Microsoft will not retaliate against any computer manufacturer that supports non-Microsoft software”, it makes me ill. Especially since the tech media will now heap praises gushing over the new reformed Microsoft. All should now be forgiven and we can trust Microsoft now just because it says it has tuned over a new leaf? I’m sorry, but would you trust an axe murder that writes a “I now realize killing people is wrong” press release? The tech landscape is littered with the corpses of those that Microsoft trampled over in their unrelenting quest to own anything and everything. As far as Microsoft actually changing their behavior, stranger things have happened, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. The last I read Microsoft was still pressuring vendors NOT to sell naked PCs.
And just today one reads about this little nugget in a CNet news article.
“…It’s especially a concern that Microsoft requires attendees to sign a document that allows the company to use anything that anyone says at the event….”
“They ask us to sign a nondisclosure agreement, and if we say anything in those meetings that Microsoft is able to use, they have the right to do so.” The agreement was introduced in recent years, he said.
Well, isn’t that special! Talk about anti-competitive. Remember, a Leopard NEVER changes its spots.