---------- Forwarded message ----------

FSFE not inclined to pay legal costs of Microsoft "No settlement in sight, FSFE ready for battle"

Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) casts doubts on the increasing rumors that Microsoft is willing to settle the antitrust case against the EC Commission, which is due to come to Court later this week.

"We have not been approached by either party by any accounts. This seems more like a smoke screen trying to distract from Airbus having confirmed withdrawal from the case. With the hearing just a few hours away, we also do not see the possibility to discuss any such proposal at this stage," Carlo Piana, FSFEs legal counsel to the case, comments. "Having seen the copious amount of pages of CVs for the experts that Microsoft intends to bring to court, we are instead preparing for two days of intense legal battle. We are quite confident that our comparatively smaller team will give them a hard time and provide the Commission with a great deal of support, as we have done so far," Piana concludes.

"We are indeed ready for the battle, but we do hope that others will stand up to support us in this fight as we are currently financing the costs of this litigation from our rather limited funds," Georg Greve, president of the FSFE confirms. "In this regard it should be a rather interesting encounter: On the one side our small, but highly competent team, hard-pressed even for the smallest of expenses. On the other side Microsoft, which hired two of the most prestigious law firms in Europe with their remarkably expensive lawyers working around the clock with unlimited funds."

The costs seem indeed expensive since Microsoft with its legendary $49 billion cash reserve applied for the parties siding with the European Commission to bear their legal costs in case the European Commission loses the case. At the current stage, the result Microsoft can expect is something equivalent to an acquittal for want of evidence.

If the other parties, such as FSFE, would then have to pay the cost of Microsoft, it would be much like the surfer paying dental care to the shark. "We appreciate the humoresque quality of this demand, but we are certainly not inclined to give in to it!" Georg Greve concludes.

About the Free Software Foundation Europe

The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is a charitable non-governmental organization dedicated to all aspects of Free Software in Europe. Access to software determines who may participate in a digital society. Therefore the Freedoms to use, copy, modify and redistribute software - as described in the Free Software definition- allow equal participation in the information age. Creating awareness for these issues, securing Free Software politically and legally, and giving people Freedom by supporting development of Free Software are central issues of the FSFE, which was founded in 2001 as the European sister organization of the Free Software Foundation in the United States.

Further information: http://www.fsfeurope.org

-- Joachim Jakobs jj@office.fsfeurope.org Press Speaker - FSF Europe (http://fsfeurope.org) In der Roede 24, 64367 Mühltal (Tel: +49-179-6919565) _______________________________________________ Press-release mailing list Press-release@fsfeurope.org https://mail.fsfeurope.org/mailman/listinfo/press-release