No fun in monopolies

Microsoft is running into trouble with EU yet again.

"Talk," says the EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, "is cheap. Flouting the rules is expensive." How expensive? Well, several years of flouting and talking are going to cost Microsoft a record fine of 899 million euros, or about $1.35 billion if the dollar doesn't keep dropping.

On top of previous fines stemming from the same judgment, Microsoft's EU tab stands at about $2.6 billion. Tell me, is there any fun in running monopolies?

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