> Wrong, the fine is a consequence of breaking competition laws I assure you, the cost of breaking the law is factored into a spreadsheet somewhere in all corp

> Wrong, the fine is a consequence of breaking competition laws I assure you, the cost of breaking the law is factored into a spreadsheet somewhere in all corporations of note, and that this metaphorical spreadsheet is always used to make decisions. The OP is absolutely correct when he says that fines are the cost of doing business. He's wrong when he says that this is a phenomenon associated with Europe though -- corporate amorality ultimately knows nothing of national boundaries.