Microsoft Files Motorola Mobility Antitrust Complaint With EU

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Microsoft called on EU antitrust regulators on Wednesday to investigate Motorola Mobility, saying the U.S. phone maker was trying to block sales of its Windows PCs, its Xbox game consoles and other products.

"Earlier today, Microsoft filed a formal competition law complaint with the European Commission against Motorola Mobility," Microsoft's deputy general counsel Dave Heiner wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.

"We have taken this step because Motorola is attempting to block sales of Windows PCs, our Xbox game console and other products," he said.

Last week, the European Commission and the U.S. Justice Department approved Google's $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee, editing by Charlie Dunmore)

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Comments

[Ant]

06:04 PM on 02/22/2012

The patent system needs to be revamped.

[ProgressivesWin]

05:08 PM on 02/22/2012

ZERO tears for MS.

[six seven]

05:57 PM on 02/22/2012

Apple has made similar complaints against Moto. Ya know, it is possible that Moto is in the wrong.

[ProgressivesWin]

07:20 PM on 02/22/2012

So how does that change my revulsion for MS?

[iamwired]

10:48 AM on 02/23/2012

They don't need your tears, they are doing quite well. I don't know of a single office, large or small, not running some type of MS business software, or full MS Enterprise in and Active Directory environment. I know, you got upset about the Zune and that's the limit of your decision making on a company. Its too bad no other company can compete in business this way.

[ProgressivesWin]

04:13 PM on 02/23/2012

They don't get my money, either.

[Equinator]

03:58 PM on 02/22/2012

The use of patents had gone way to far and is now stopping innovation.

[skifastbadly]

02:46 PM on 02/22/2012

Translation: We at Microsoft are the very smartest people in the world and if you don't believe it look at all the BMWs in our parking lots. Therefore, the fact that Apple's eating our lunch in tablets, our phone market share has fallen from 15% to less than 2% in four years, Bing is only gaining market share in the US and that's largely via acquisitions and partnerships, our Digital Marketing initiative is DOA, our Zune was a joke, and nobody seems to want Azure are *somebody else's* fault, and by god, we're going to sue the bunch of 'em.

[jgeurian21]

04:08 PM on 02/22/2012

Keep drinking that Kool-Aid. Odd that you left out things like the 360, Xbox Live, the Kinect, Office, Windows, Hotmail and a slew of other widely popular things that make MS billions each year. Of course why bring up facts when you are ranting, right?

[skifastbadly]

05:09 PM on 02/22/2012

It's not the size of the market share, it's the direction. Windows shipments were down last quarter, didn't you read the earnings release? The tablets are killing them. They had to admit Lees' failure in phones, after gobs of investment. Hotmail and the other online assets are bleeding money. Bing is losing money. Azure "We're all in" is a dismal failure. But you're right, they're doing alright in gaming. Except they're an enterprise software company. You ever been there? Take a walk through 121, people are fleeing EPG like rats off a ship. You are the one that appears to be fact free. Now go back to your cubicle and keep building pivot tables.

[six seven]

05:58 PM on 02/22/2012

Apple has made similar complaints against Moto.

[NHBill]

02:26 PM on 02/22/2012

They are ALL constantly suing each other.

[konspikuous]

01:40 PM on 02/22/2012

And the evidence to back up the claim is???

[iamwired]

01:46 PM on 02/22/2012

Uh, I don't think they are suing based on conspiracy or rumors dude.

[J0E1]

02:23 PM on 02/22/2012

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-57382524-17/microsoft-targets-motorola-mobility-claims-patent-abuse/

Huff post should just axe their "Tech" section altogether if this is the kind of drivel they put out.

[konspikuous]

02:40 PM on 02/22/2012

Ahh...thanks much.

So awful of this site to completely overlook providing the whole story.

[Errant]

01:30 PM on 02/22/2012

Is this really news? I mean, come on. Everyone sues Microsoft. Motorola suing Micro---wait, what? It's the other way around? Microsoft is suing Motorola?

Hold on, I need to drink some coffee so I can drink it and then spit it out in shock.

[iamwired]

01:48 PM on 02/22/2012

It gets better. Apple is also suing Motorola for the same thing. MS and Apple teamed up. Its crazy out there. This could be the predicted Patent War of 2012 Nostrodamus predicted.

[J0E1]

11:32 AM on 02/22/2012

Uh.... what?  How is a phone company blocking sales of PC's and game consoles?  They really need to go into more detail here.

[iamwired]

11:50 AM on 02/22/2012

Yeah, I thought the same thing. More detail is needed. I can't think of the scenario, unless its from chip sales? I have to look it up now.

[iamwired]

11:53 AM on 02/22/2012

Here is a good explanation of what's happening:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-57382524-17/microsoft-sues-motorola-mobility-claims-patent-abuse/

[Charles Keledjian]

12:16 PM on 02/22/2012

Thanks. This is reported with much more detail everywhere else, except in Huffpost. (and it took TWO people to put out this empty article???)

[Errant]

01:34 PM on 02/22/2012

So. . wait. Microsoft isn't the villain here? I need to lie down. How things have changed!