“The federal judge overseeing Microsoft Corp.’s business practices scolded the company Wednesday over a proposal to force manufacturers to tether iPod-like devices to Microsoft’s own music player software,” The Associated Press reports. “Microsoft abandoned the idea after a competitor protested.”
“In a rare display of indignation, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly demanded an explanation from Microsoft’s lawyers and told them, ‘This should not be happening.’ Legal and industry experts said Microsoft’s demands probably would have violated a landmark antitrust settlement the same judge approved in 2002 between the company and the Bush administration. The government and Microsoft disclosed details of the dispute in a court document last week,” AP reports.
“The judge said Microsoft’s music-player proposal – even though it was abandoned 10 days later – ‘maybe indicates a chink in the compliance process.’ She made her remarks during a previously scheduled court hearing to review the adequacy of the settlement,” AP reports. “The disputed plan, part of a marketing campaign known as ‘easy start,’ would have affected portable music devices that compete with Apple Computer Inc.’s popular iPod. It would have precluded makers of those devices from distributing to consumers music software other than Microsoft’s own Windows Media Player, in exchange for Microsoft-supplied CDs.”
Full article here.
Advertisements: The New iPod with Video. The ultimate music + video experience on the go. Buy it now at the Apple Store. From $299. Free shipping.
Apple iPod nano. 1,000 songs. Impossibly small. From $199. Free shipping.
Related article:
After protest, Microsoft backs off on exclusive music contracts – October 20, 2005
Gime your wrist billy boy
bad boy billy
now go screw apple again
Why a scolding only? I mean, they are currently being fined for monopolistic practices and this is a big “screw you” to the Justice Department.
Time to break up MS and let the OS division go under while the Applications division brings Office to Linux!
MDN word: meaning
And we should be shocked at Microsoft’s underhand move because…..?
Chinks?! I can assure you there are no f’ing Chinks anywhere near Microsoft’s process!
Related article:
Microsoft’s Bill Gates: ‘We’ve been f—ed by China’ – September 06, 2005
And in other news, Microsoft has just announced plans to purchase the beleaguered U.S. Federal government for pennies on the dollar. Due to the seceret nature of the agreement, SEC and DOJ officials will not be allowed to investigate the deal brokered by Vice President Dick Cheney over a lunch meeting with the Microsoft Board of Directors. He was quoted as saying that this action is a pre-emptive strike against something evil. Google is expected to surrender to this new nation within the week.
And meanwhile iTunes remains locked in to iPod only, Apple happily disables support for WMA formats in the iPod chipsets, and Apple refuses to license Fairplay to anyone else.
So much for equity.
“Why a scolding only?”
Because they cancelled the deal before it ever really got started. It helps to actually read the article…
i love macs but i hate you libtards that pollute this site.
get a life. we won, get over it. prepare for 06 and 08. good luck.
buahahahahahaahhahahaha
Repeal the presidential term limit! Bush forever!
Isn’t some whiney Republican going to complain that we are making something political? Oh no business isn’t political. Microsoft isn’t political! Cry, whine, moan. Why do you make everything political? <sob> Republican pansies. I mean Democrats suck too, don’t get me wrong but c’mon!
“And meanwhile iTunes remains locked in to iPod only, Apple happily disables support for WMA formats in the iPod chipsets, and Apple refuses to license Fairplay to anyone else.
So much for equity.”
You seem to be completely missing the point. Apple manufactures both the hardware (iPod) AND the software (iTunes). Microsoft doesn’t.
Apple can limit their own products however they want, but asking a third party manufacturer limit their products to do so (as M$ was doing) is a totally different story.
Hillary to lick Bush in 2008!
No, your whiney liberal ass has done quite enough of it already…
Hey Rose! iTunes is not locked to iPod only and oh yeah …WMA sucks anyway
“And meanwhile iTunes remains locked in to iPod only, Apple happily disables support for WMA formats in the iPod chipsets, and Apple refuses to license Fairplay to anyone else.”
Using your flawed logic, why won’t a PS2 play Xbox games and/or vice versa then? Why won’t a DirecTV dish pick up Dish Network programming? Why does a Sirius satellite radio not receive XM signals?
The bottom line is that Apple doesn’t have any deals with third parties forcing them to limit their products to work only with iTunes. They don’t have any deals with third parties at all because they market the entire solution themselves. Nobody sells iPods but Apple. Nobody writes iTunes software but Apple. If you can’t see the difference then you’re crazy.
Bush sucks. 39% approval rating, baby! Go f$(3 yourself Republicans; you’re heartless scum that are so shortsighted we’ll be fixing your fiscal rampage for generations (not to mention the degradation of the Constitution, needy, and morals of our nation).
Okay, Mac relevant: Microsoft got a slap on the wrist the minute the Bush administration took charge of the Justice Department. Coincidence? I think not. The Clinton administration had many corporations’ backs nailed to the wall. As long as republicans are in power we will continue to see 98% of America skrewed for the wealthies 2%.
Well surprise, suprise. Did the Federal courts really think that a supervision of Microsoft practices would resolve the issues of their abuse of their monopoly position? It’s the same old dog hunting the same old way.
wow… lost of typos…. sorry
“And meanwhile iTunes remains locked in to iPod only, Apple happily disables support for WMA formats in the iPod chipsets, and Apple refuses to license Fairplay to anyone else.”
First, at least on the Mac, iTunes supports other music players besides the iPod. Music purchased at the iTunes Music Store can be burned to CD and re-imported into iTunes as MP3–although you may have to use a higher bit-rate to get the music to sound the same–and then downloaded to any supported music player.
I mean, I agree that Apple should support WMA on the iPod. Apple should also support Real, Ogg Vorbis, ATRAC, and any other music compression format that exists. Because, according to Steve Jobs, “At Apple, it’s about the music.” It shouldn’t be about the format.
But this old saw that you can’t use anything other than an iPod with iTunes is wrong. Sure, Apple doesn’t publicize this fact–they’d rather you buy an iPod, duh–but the capability is certainly there.
Fuck the dude that said that thing about hating Liberals. I am not a Liberal, but BUSH FSCKING SUCKS! How can anyone like him?!?! He should die like the inocent people he killed!
Thanks for setting the record straight, Peter. I had no idea, so I learned something new today. Keep an eye on the iTunes package, open it up in Get Info, and check all the non-mp3/aiff/ma4/mp4 icons… a sure sign of what’s to come, when Apple is good and ready.
Bush should be in the dock alongside Saddam. No question.
iTunes isn’t looked to iPods, you can sync your ROKR (which isn’t made by Apple).
Cheers,
Tim.
That competitor that protested is probably dead meat in Microsoft’s eyes. I wouldn’t be buying stock in that company.
MW – “pressure” (MDN HAS to be putting in these words on purpose)
“And meanwhile iTunes remains locked in to iPod only, Apple happily disables support for WMA formats in the iPod chipsets, and Apple refuses to license Fairplay to anyone else.”
Good. According to my ears, and everything I’ve ever read, WMA sucks in comparison to Dolby Labs MPEG-2 AAC.
“I am not a Liberal, but BUSH FSCKING SUCKS! How can anyone like him?!?! He should die like the inocent people he killed!”
Dude, chill. Your hate speech is the REASON why the Republicans win. Your intolerance is disgusting. “Let the Muslims die”, right?
Opinions like yours are why the Nazi’s murdered 6 million in Germany and the Soviets their 10 million in Russia. People stood by while genocide was commited and did nothing to stop it.
If the US were in the hands of a dictator who gassed entire cities, my bet is that you’d BE THE 1ST IN LINE. begging for someone to come and stop the killing.
Between the Iraqi civilians, the Iranians and Kuwati’s, Saddam was directly responsible for the death of millions.
Grow up.