For those that feel that Microsoft (News - Alert) dominates too much of the software industry, this latest news out of Europe may bring hope for improved competition. Opera Software has filed an antitrust suit again the software giant in the European Union, claiming that it is stifling competition by tying its Internet Explorer Web browser to Windows. 

Filed with the European Commission on Wednesday, the complaint says that Microsoft is abusing its dominant position in the desktop PC market by offering only Internet Explorer as a standard part of Windows. The company is also accused of hindering interoperability by not following accepted standards with IE.

In its suit, Opera is asking that Microsoft be forced to unbundled IE from Windows, or include other browsers as a standard part of its operating system. The company also wants the Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, to require that Microsoft adhere to industry standards with its Web browser.

This compliant is the first against Microsoft since the EU Court of First Instance in September 17 upheld a 2004 landmark European Commission decision against the company on antitrust grounds.

Opera is a member of the European Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS), a long-time opponent of Microsoft. ECIS issued a statement critical of the software giant.

"By tying its Internet Explorer product to its monopoly Windows operating system and refusing to faithfully implement industry accepted open standards, Microsoft deprives consumers of a real choice in Internet browsers," ECIS lawyer Thomas Vinje said in the statement.

The standards issue is considered important due to the fact that if all Web browsers do not use the same standards, Web site developers are likely to design their Web sites to work with the most widely-used browser, which is Internet Explorer. Such an arrangement ensures that consumers have no incentive to use other browsers.
 

This complaint from Opera actually echoes a US case in 1998 in which the US Justice Department won a major judgment against Microsoft for competing illegally against another browser, Netscape.

Microsoft has argued in the past that consumers benefit from its tight integration of IE and Windows. Opera claimed it filed the complaint on behalf of all consumers who are tired of having a monopolist make choices for them.

Companies like Opera fight what seems to be an uphill battle with Microsoft. The company’s strategic approach to bundling has created a world of consumers who are used to IE and the ease of its integration with Windows.

What’s more, for the most part, we as consumers want the browser that provides the best navigation and that is the easiest to use. Unfortunately for Opera, that is often IE.

There are significant benefits to requiring standards, however. It will promote fair competition and it will keep us from relying so heavily on Microsoft for the solutions that we need to run our lives and our businesses.

 

Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMC (News - Alert) and has also written for eastbiz.com. To see more of her articles, please visit Susan J. Campbell’s columnist page.