Opera seeks finale of Microsoft practices said to hinder rivals

Dec 15 2007 by Iain Laing, The Journal

A COMPLAINT has been filed with the European Commission accusing Microsoft of hampering competition by tying its browser to Windows.

Opera Software said the close ties between Internet Explorer (IE) and Windows made it difficult for rivals to be a serious choice for web users. Opera also said Microsoft flouted web standards, making it much harder for browsers to be inter-operable.

But Microsoft said: “We believe the inclusion of the browser into the operating system benefits consumers, and that consumers and PC manufacturers already are free to choose any browsers they wish.”

The EC said the Norwegian software firm’s complaint would be studied.

The complaint said the bundling of IE with Windows gave the group an unfair advantage.

Opera wants the Commission to make Microsoft separate IE from Windows, pre-install other browsers on new PCs and follow web specifications.