Mozilla to join EC Microsoft anti-trust case

The European Comission has invited Firefox creators Mozilla to join its antitrust case against Microsoft and the way in which Internet Explorer is bundled in the Windows operating system.

Although Mozilla are not a complainant – with Opera leading the charge - a lengthy blog post from the company's chairperson Mitchell Baker made its stance clear.

"I'd like to offer Mozilla's expertise as a resource to the EC as it considers what an effective remedy would entail, said Baker's blog.

"I'll be reaching out to people I know with particular history, expertise and ideas regarding these topics. If you've got specific ideas or concerns please feel free to contact me. I'll post more as the discussion develops."

'Justified' claim

Baker openly offered help to the EC saying that there was not the 'single smallest iota of doubt' that the case brought against Microsoft was justified.

"Last month the European Commission stated its preliminary conclusion that 'Microsoft's tying of Internet Explorer to the Windows operating system harms competition between web browsers, undermines product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice'," wrote Mitchell

"In my mind, there is absolutely no doubt that the statement above is correct. Not the single smallest iota of doubt.

"…Microsoft's business practices have fundamentally diminished (in fact, came very close to eliminating) competition, choice and innovation in how people access the Internet."

Unbundle

Should the case be successful, Microsoft could find their Internet Explorer strategy in real trouble – with suggestions that it would have to unbundle the web browser.

"The only way to give users a genuine choice is to strip out IE from Windows and either replace it with a rival browser or offer users a list of browsers to choose from," Jon von Tetzchner, Opera's chief executive told IDG last month.