Having forced a dominant player like Microsoft to open up some of its interfaces in the name of interoperability, the European Commission is now proposing to force any “significant” player like, oh, say, Apple and Adobe or RIM and Nokia to open up their proprietary interfaces so it can create a brave new kumbayah level playing field.
It forced Microsoft to do it by dint of antitrust prosecution and heavy fines but now it’s proposing to legislate the licensing of interfaces and data formats outside of antitrust considerations by 2012.
According to EC’s new digital agenda commissioner Neelie Kroes, who’s proving to be a very dangerous woman, “Any kind of IT product should be able to communicate with any type of service in the future.”
The legislative notion is part of her Digital Agenda for Europe, published in May, which reads: “Since not all pervasive technologies are based on standards the benefits of interoperability risk being lost in such areas. The Commission will examine the feasibility of measures that could lead significant market players to license interoperability information while at the same time promoting innovation and competition.”
In speeches she has indicated she favors legislative measures.
Florian Mueller, the guy behind the successful NoSoftwarePatents movement, says “Short of abolishing software patents, it’s hard to imagine a FOSS-friendlier legislative initiative.”
However, short of expropriation Mrs. Kroes is apparently prepared to reimburse her targets with some sort of royalty.
Her invitation to express your views may turn into a formal consultative process.
Mueller is following the goings-on. See http://fosspatents.blogspot.com/2010/07/interoperability-procedural-framework.html.
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