Brussels crushes Microsoft, gains regulatory power

An opinion piece in this week's Economist ("How the European Union is becoming the world's chief regulator") underlines the differences between the US and Europe's attitudes towards corporations' responsibility to consumers- and who has the bigger end of the regulatory stick right now.

"A victory for consumers and the free market. That was how the European Commission presented this week's ruling by European judges in favour of its multi-million euro fine for bullying competitors," the article says.

In the States, corporations are innocent until proven guilty in regards to their products, whereas in Europe the burden of proof rests on the corporation if their products are deemed unsafe or, like in Microsoft's case, unfair to its competitors.

The author of the article argues the "proscriptive European vision may better suit consumer and industry demands for certainty" and points out that there is a genuine competition to set global regulatory standards, a race which Europe is heading right now.

What does Brussels' ruling in the Microsoft case represent for American-European relationships? Is Europe becoming a protectionist fortress or is this case really a victory for consumers and the free market? Are Americans right when asking whether a squabble among American high-tech firms should end up being decided in Brussels and Luxembourg?

(Kinia A.)