tired, old, passe' europe

2-25-08—Microsoft last week pledged a new era of cooperation with rival software developers...Minutes after Microsoft began a widely trumpeted news conference Thursday saying it would give competitors better access to its secret operating code, [EU Competition Commission office] said it had heard such talked before. ... The European Union voted to press ahead with two investigations into the company’s practices that it launched just last month. .. [The EUCC has torpedoed GE’s plan to purchase Honeywell, imposed a $613 million fine on Microsoft, and Google’s acquisition of DoubleClink Inc. is waiting for the EUCC approval (after FCC approval)][and has also lodged preliminary charges against Intel, Rambus, Mastercard, forced Apple to cut the price of UK iTunes, and raided several drug company offices] WSJ A1, WSJ A12