Google wants to join Mozilla in the European Commission case against Microsoft regarding its bundling of Internet Explorer with the Windows operating system.

There has been criticism against the European Commission for pursuing abusive behaviour by Microsoft, and against Mozilla for wanting a fair chance to compete against Microsoft. The blog post explains why the Commission is doing the right thing to take antitrust violation seriously, and why the Free Software community should support this case.

The European Commission - Directorate for Competition has officially dropped its antitrust charges against Microsoft, after Microsoft agreed to provide users of its Windows operating system a choice of web browsers. Under the new deal, Microsoft will avoid future E.C. fines and, from March, consumers will have a choice of up to twelve other web browsers.

Mozilla has taken a position on the European Union's proposed settlement with Microsoft about browser integration in Windows 7. Both Mozilla Foundation's Mitchell Baker and Mozilla's general counsel feel that Microsoft is benefiting all too well from the settlement.

ECIS, accepted as an intervenor in the European Commission's Microsoft browser antitrust case, has now released a statement [PDF] explaining all that it feels isn't enough about Microsoft's self-remedy. It's titled, Too Little, Too Late, and it says that while the remedy might have been appropriate in 1997, now that there have been "decades of abuse" further action is needed.

If one were to believe Microsoft, antitrust law is for sore losers who are too lazy to innovate, and the decision of the European Court of Justice against Microsoft was to the detriment of consumers around the world. One might even believe that any company with large enough market share would now have to fear the wrath of the European Commission and its anti-innovation bloodhounds.

As Microsoft and the European Commission talk settlement, Mozilla says it wants more detailed promises from the software titan.

Fresh action in the European Commission's antitrust proceedings against Microsoft: On May 24, the European Court of Justice conducts a hearing on Microsoft's appeal against the fine. FSFE has participated in the case for a decade and will intervene on the Commission's behalf.

Free Software Foundation Europe today announces that it will support the European Commission's antitrust investigation against Microsoft and to this effect it has formally requested to be admitted as an interested third party.