Microsoft News Tracker

Late yesterday, I updated a post about what appears to be a near certainty that the European Commission will decide to fine Microsoft with some further information from this morning’s Financial Times. Predictably, there has been an outpouring of news stories on the subject, but I found one of them from Kelly Olsen at the AP particularly interesting - EU, South Korean Competition Regulators Vow to Step Up Cooperation to Fight Cartels, Abuses:

The chief competition regulators for the European Union and South Korea vowed Tuesday to step up cooperation to fight cartels and abuses of market dominance, saying they have much to learn from each other.

“We have to fight against cartels,” EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told reporters at a joint news conference with Kwon Oh-seung, chairman of the Korea Fair Trade Commission.
…
Both EU and South Korean competition authorities have taken a hard line on U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp., levying fines and ordering it to alter some of its product line after finding antitrust violations. Microsoft is fighting both rulings.

Kroes and Kwon said they discussed their respective actions against Microsoft, but provided no details.

More details about their respective actions against Microsoft by following the link, but I have previously mentioned them both at length. The air cargo industry is mentioned as well and the whole thing could be nothing more than bureaucratic junket justification, but one can’t help but wonder whether the EU and Korean regulators are coordinating a regulatory assault on Microsoft and whether they will invite others to join their little club.