06.18.08
Quick Mention: China Begins Anti-monopoly Probe of Microsoft
When it rains, it pours. Earlier today we mentioned Microsoft’s situation in Europe. Now comes this news from China.
China in anti-monopoly probe of Microsoft
China has begun an anti-monopoly investigation into US giant Microsoft and several other global software firms, the country’s intellectual property watchdog said Wednesday.
The development comes with Microsoft already embroiled in a standoff with the top antitrust watchdog in Europe, where officials have long accused the software titan of abusing its dominant market power.
We’ll update this entry if we find more information. █
“The government is not trying to destroy Microsoft, it’s simply seeking to compel Microsoft to obey the law. It’s quite revealing that Mr. Gates equates the two.”
–Government official
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.