Mozilla has been given the green light to join the European Commission (EC) in its anti-trust case against Microsoft.
The Commission, Europe's top antitrust authority, charged Microsoft last month with distorting competition in the market for web browsers by bundling in its Internet Explorer (IE) browser with the Windows operating system.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 review
If the charges stick, then Microsoft could be forced to change the way it distributes IE, as well as pay a fine for monopoly abuse.
Mitchell Baker, Mozilla's chairperson, said in a blog that appeared over the weekend that she wanted to offer Mozilla's expertise "as a resource to the EC as it considers what an effective remedy would entail".
She said there isn't "the single smallest iota of doubt" that Microsoft's tying of IE to Windows "harms competition between web browsers, undermines product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice".
Mozilla has been granted what's called 'interested third party' status in the case, which allows it to submit arguments to the European regulator, to see the confidential statement of objections the EC sent Microsoft last month, and to participate in a face-to-face hearing if Microsoft requests one.
However, it isn't a complainant in the case. That role goes to Norwegian web browser developer Opera, which complained to the EC just over a year ago about Microsoft's practices in the browser market.
Firefox is IE's nearest rival in Europe, according to market share data from French researcher XiTiMonitor.
Last November IE's usage share in Europe stood at 59.5 percent, Firefox 31.1 percent, Opera 5.1 percent, Safari (Apple's browser) 2.5 percent, and Google's recently launched Chrome browser at 1.1 percent, XiTiMonitor said.
Google and Apple weren't immediately available to comment on whether they too would apply to join the EC's antitrust case.
The EC's browser case follows a landmark antitrust ruling against Microsoft in 2004, resulting in fines of over $1bn. Part of that case dealt with the bundling, or tying, of Media Player to the Windows OS.
Besides fining Microsoft, the EC also ordered the company to offer a second version of Windows with Media Player stripped out.
The second version bombed in the shops as it was sold for the same price as the bundled version.
Jon von Tetzchner, Opera's chief executive said last month he hopes the EC won't apply the same remedy in the browser case.
"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," he said.
See also: Firefox 3.1 beta 3 delayed again
Comments
needforspeeds said: i tried to install explorer8 betaafter about a 15 min download it made me uninstallrebootmy exporer7 installed explorer8 reboottried to fix reboot some error uninstalled reboottried to put explorer7 back reboot wont work uninstallabout 2 hours had passed found a disk with firefox 3 on it installed in less than 2 mins it asked if i want to open firefox without rebooting the page came up it ungraded to the newest firefox 36 in less than 3 mins it downloaded it and there it was firefox 306 total time to install and download upgrade and install the new firefoxabout 5 mins with no reboots if you have a better product i am sure it will catch on look at the competition from explorer 7 and 8
Arcless said: Forcing Microsoft to offer multiple browsers will not work unless they are forced to allow all of them access and download from the MS Update site Currently only MSie can do this other browsers need workarounds