As much as I hate IE (especially 6 and 7, hating 5.5 would be like hating a dead dictator) I can’t see this making any sense. Microsoft makes the OS and therefor has the freedom to choose the browser they want. Period. The fact that it’s not the best browser you can get and is not in the interest of their customers, doesn’t make it any different. Should they bundle different makes of Solitaire as well? And Mine Sweeper? Paint?

Why isn’t Opera complaining about Apple? If this case goes through, wouldn’t it mean that Mac OS X should be pre-loaded with Firefox, Opera, Camino, Flock, OmniWeb, iCab, Shiira etc. Who draws the line and where do you draw it?

Perhaps there’s more to this. Maybe there’s is something I don’t know about Windows that makes it hard for people to download and use different browsers but right now I feel like this is a case that’s taking advantage of EU’s long term grudge against Microsoft. If EU really wanted to hurt Microsoft, they should just move their systems to run on Linux. Couple of million workstations across Europe running Ubuntu would certainly send the messages to Redmond.

Firefox is a proof that it’s possible to get large amounts of people interested in a browser other than IE. I think Opera should concentrate their efforts on telling people how good their product is rather than on drumming how badly their big cousin behaves.

PS. Let’s all give it a try, especially if you’re running IE, click one of the links below to get another browser for your system:
Opera
Firefox

Today, an advocate general for the European Court of Justice, the highest court in the EU, released an opinion saying that ISPs are not required to disclose information that could identify subscribers in civil copyright infringement cases. (via)

EU citizens privacy is protected from the Music Industry. The Industry now needs to find better ways of fighting piracy.

I would recommend:

- Stop suggesting that every consumer is a criminal until otherwise proven. Remove DRM.

- Make buying music easier than stealing it.

- Give artists more than 5% of purchase price. No-one wants to steal from the artist. With todays system no-one is.

- Go after the pirates who make money out of it. Not the ones who copy the music and then go see the artist live.

I guess the Industry is a bit pissed of as this pretty much stops them from making money in the same way as their American causing do.

–kristian