Microsoft Japan Raided Over Suspected Violation of Anti-Monopoly Law (reuters.com) 25
An anonymous reader shares a report: Japan's Fair Trade Commission raided Microsoft Japan's offices on Wednesday as part of an investigation into whether it improperly restricted customers of its Azure platform from using rival cloud services, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The source said Japan's antitrust authorities would also be seeking clarification from Microsoft's parent company in the United States. Microsoft Japan is suspected of setting conditions that effectively shut out other services by limiting access to popular services on other cloud platforms, the source said.
The source said Japan's antitrust authorities would also be seeking clarification from Microsoft's parent company in the United States. Microsoft Japan is suspected of setting conditions that effectively shut out other services by limiting access to popular services on other cloud platforms, the source said.
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Japanese Monopoly (Score:2)
I didn't know there was a Japanese version.
I was bought up on the English version (Kings Cross Station is the first railway after go, and PallMall is the purple property straight after the Jail)
I have seen a NZ version but never played it.
I have played a LOTR version (There was a One Ring piece that moved one square every time the one came up on one of the dices)
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Re: Japanese Monopoly (Score:2)
Still doesn't make it a fun game. Why does people keep buying it, does humanity secretly desire to punish themselves and their entire family?
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It's a badly designed game, or more that other games have come around that learned lessons from this game an others. Monopoly is too long given how much luck is involved. There's no real snowball effect that can tie things up quickly, you just take turns paying rent to each other until someone is unlucky enough to not to be able to pay. And popular house rules like getting paid for Free Parking makes the game longer and even more chance-based instead of fixing the economy problem in the game.
Most importantl
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Probably by digging through their company records to find evidence of bribes or coercion in support of their monopoly position.
Of course, that evidence is all secured safely in an encrypted cloud. Offshore and beyond the reach of authorities. So, not Azure.
Re:Anyway (Score:4, Insightful)
Probably not really bribes. In general the abuse of a monopoly is illegal in many countries - even without bribes and such. In their communications they can find things like evidence of deliberately using one monopoly to strengthen another or even straight up confessions that they know it is illegal.
Of course, that evidence is all secured safely in an encrypted cloud. Offshore and beyond the reach of authorities.
Very unwise to turn a civil matter into criminal obstruction.
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Very unwise to turn a civil matter into criminal obstruction.
It's not criminal obstruction if it's established corporate policy and followed since before any charges or accusations are made.
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Isn't that what got Travis Kalanick kicked out of uber? They had this global data kill switch that made french authorities angry and they put up two french Uber execs facing charges of up to 5 years in prison (not for obstruction but for a laundry list of things), after which suddenly Uber lawyers came up with the requested documents and Uber suddenly found itself able to comply. And they were saying it was just a temporary glitch and no files were ever deleted.
It would be a hilariously dumb strategy becaus
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You can't have kill switches or warrant canaries that trigger some action based upon a change in status w.r.t. authorities. However, it's OK to have corporate policies specifying the periodic deletion of records. As long as those policies are in place and adhered to prior to government action.
I don't know about the French situation. But if you say you follow corporate policy, delete your email and then it miraculously reappears, most governments would take action just for being lied to. Contents of the ema
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However, it's OK to have corporate policies specifying the periodic deletion of records
It's also OK to have such a policy and forget to ever enforce it. Which is really no different from arbitrary deletion if you plan well.
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The thing is, if it ever comes out that there was any coordination on that based on police actions that's a crime for everyone involved. Potentially a very serious crime.
You are literally risking prison to prevent some fine on microsoft that has unlimited money, and prosecutors and judges are no idiots and it may very well end up working against your company.
This is not like the mafia either where microsoft will take care of you for life for taking the fall. Microsoft will just throw you under the bus and t
Duh. (Score:3)
Yeah... this was settled years ago. Then Bush had it dismissed (Thanks, very large MS GOP campaign contributions!)
The question has never been if Microsoft is guilty of anti-trust violations. The question is simply how many did they commit today?
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A big budget AAA game like horizon forbidden West cost 200 million to make and then another 100 million to market.
Microsoft could have literally made hundreds of good triple a games for the cost of those studios.
But that was never the point. The point was monopoly. The point was keeping those studios from making games for Sony or Nintendo or any potential competitor like valve and the steam box.
You don't
How does a raid work nowadays ? (Score:3)
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It's Japan, they probably still have piles of incriminating papers in the feed out trays of their fax machines.
DOS is not done until Lotus won't run (Score:2)
How dare I mention a book? (Score:2)
Any excuse for an (unwanted) book review? Currently about halfway through Microsoft Secrets by Cusamano and Selby. Or I just like to think about books too much?
Though the book is kind of old, it provides an interesting perspective on project management and how Microsoft got to where it is today. They aren't talking about monopoly in economic terms, but there is a lot of stuff about how to crush competitors leading to monopolies in each niche. I think one of the most interesting aspects so far is how they
Surely not (Score:2)
Microsoft, a monopoly? Inconceivable!