EU Skeptical of Microsoft’s Open Grizzly Bear Embrace

Microsoft’s sudden embrace of interoperability and openness is a big change of tune from the tightly puckered song of the past right? Well, the EU says they’ve heard it all before—at least four times. And while EU regulators breathing down Ballmer’s neck is undoubtedly one of the reasons for the shift—you know, aside from remaining relevant and holding on to developers—they said it’s not going to let Microsoft off the hook yet.

Commission will verify whether Microsoft is complying with EU antitrust rules, whether the principles announced today would end any infringement were they implemented in practice, and whether or not the principles announced today are in fact implemented in practice.”

Mark Taylor from Open Source Consortium says it’s all a bunch of BS anyway:

“Microsoft is saying it will give access to open APIs, however, but there are terms…It’s the same old story. Patent protection applies, and people can use the APIs commercially as long as they pay Microsoft a royalty. They are trying to enclose open commons by trying to apply their business model, which is all about owning technology, to open source.”

If the proof is in the pudding, it looks like they’re gonna need one bigass batch of Jell-O before everyone’s satisfied there isn’t just a crappy Cosby sweater in this giftbox. [CNET]