Opera Picks up Internet Explorer Battle Where Netscape Left Off

By Greg McNevin

December 14, 2007: The Norwegian company behind the popular Opera internet browser has filed a complaint against Microsoft with the European Commission, claiming that the software giant is abusing its dominant market position by bundling Internet Explorer with its operating systems, and hindering interoperability by not following accepted web standards.

Microsoft has conceded defeat in several US and EU anti-trust cases over the last few years, and while Opera’s complaint doesn’t mean another full-blown anti-trust case is on the way, it does hark back to the Netscape / Internet Explorer battle of the 90’s.

Opera is requesting that the Commission remedies Microsoft’s alleged abusive actions by firstly obligating it Microsoft to unbundle Internet Explorer from Windows, and to carry alternative browsers pre-installed on the desktop.

Secondly, Opera has asked the Commission to require Microsoft to follow fundamental and open Web standards accepted by the Web-authoring communities. Microsoft already claims to support these standards, however, Opera has accused it of stifling them instead with a “notorious "Embrace, Extend and Extinguish" strategy.”

“We are filing this complaint on behalf of all consumers who are tired of having a monopolist make choices for them,” said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO of Opera. “In addition to promoting the free choice of individual consumers, we are a champion of open Web standards and cross-platform innovation. We cannot rest until we've brought fair and equitable options to consumers worldwide.”

With on-demand and web applications becoming more important by the day, the browser market is becoming a spectacularly important battlefield, and with the rise of FireFox, Safari and Opera Microsoft’s dominant position following its slaying of Netscape is starting to wane.

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