Microsoft Threatens to Pull Windows From South Korea

[peat moss]

Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker, threatened to pull its Windows operating system from South Korea if antitrust regulators order the company to remove programming for instant message and movie player services.

The comments come as Korea's Fair Trade Commission prepares to rule whether Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft's inclusion of its Media Player and MSN Messenger programs into Windows unfairly makes it difficult for rivals to compete. A ruling is due by this year, according to the antitrust watchdog.

If regulators order ``Microsoft to remove code or redesign Windows uniquely for the Korean market, it might be necessary to withdraw Windows from the Korean market or delay offering new versions,'' Microsoft said in its earnings report yesterday

:source: Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=a6IWQykU2_e0&refer=us

[true_neo]

I hardly see how bundling their WMP and WM can threaten competitors.
I have heard of people who use other IM clients yet run Windows, and I myself run Media Player Classic AND VideoLAN alongside WMP on my Windows XP.
I think its great that they bundle WMP, it is a good movie player (rarely crashes, and works with my keyboard's play/pause button), and it allows me to watch most movies if I had to reformat and lost Internet connection to download other players.

[GepperRankins]

yeah right. microsoft take windows off the market?


the futures starting to look tough for them, there's no way they'd let a foothold go anywhere in the world

[oxygenuk]

who cares about korea anyway

[GepperRankins]

there's a lot of gamers over there. if windows is pulled, another operating (linux or whatever google are making) will fill the gap. there may be a lot of money to be made in developing for these platforms. this could eventually break the monopoly microsoft has all over the world

[mr. nails]

c'mon mozilla. os w/firefox bundled!