3 ms·

very large fines (10% of global turnover per year), arrest of directors/officers/senior managers of Microsoft UK, disapplication of copyright of Microsoft produ

very large fines (10% of global turnover per year), arrest of directors/officers/senior managers of Microsoft UK, disapplication of copyright of Microsoft products, possibly extradition requests too and the shareholders would want the current board out not to mention the complete total global reputational damage of ignoring a G7 country's competition regulator

qwytw 4y ago
Neither side would really win if it came to that. Of course MS would be in a much worse position.
yarg 4y ago
The UK's power in this situation is entirely contingent on microsoft continuing to do business there. Now any threats that they make are probably just bluffs, but there's no way that senior staff of a defunct division would be arrested for something done by their former company, and the idea that there'd be any extraditions going on seems unbelievably far fetched to me.
- dogma1138 4y ago
  The UK’s power in this situation isn’t contingent on Microsoft at all. Brexit or not the UK still has a lot of soft power, it’s still a G7 member and a large economy. Other countries won’t look too kindly on a corporation ignoring a major and very well respected regulator even if their interests aren’t impacted by that particular decision. The rule of law is something countries fight to preserve and it’s very much a collective thing.
  - yarg 4y ago
    There have been many situations where companies have pulled out of disagreeable regulatory environments. If microsoft decided to no longer do business in the UK (not happening - it's a bluff) it would not be beholden to their decision. It would be a different situation if either company was based in the UK, but that's not the case.
    - dogma1138 4y ago
      Not on this level, it’s usually a specific product or service that isn’t compatible with existing regulation. There is a very big difference between that and seeking permission and being told no and then acting like a 5 year old which is what Microsoft and Activision are doing.

qwytw 4y ago

Neither side would really win if it came to that. Of course MS would be in a much worse position.

yarg 4y ago

The UK's power in this situation is entirely contingent on microsoft continuing to do business there. Now any threats that they make are probably just bluffs, but there's no way that senior staff of a defunct division would be arrested for something done by their former company, and the idea that there'd be any extraditions going on seems unbelievably far fetched to me.

dogma1138 4y ago
The UK’s power in this situation isn’t contingent on Microsoft at all. Brexit or not the UK still has a lot of soft power, it’s still a G7 member and a large economy. Other countries won’t look too kindly on a corporation ignoring a major and very well respected regulator even if their interests aren’t impacted by that particular decision. The rule of law is something countries fight to preserve and it’s very much a collective thing.
- yarg 4y ago
  There have been many situations where companies have pulled out of disagreeable regulatory environments. If microsoft decided to no longer do business in the UK (not happening - it's a bluff) it would not be beholden to their decision. It would be a different situation if either company was based in the UK, but that's not the case.
  - dogma1138 4y ago
    Not on this level, it’s usually a specific product or service that isn’t compatible with existing regulation. There is a very big difference between that and seeking permission and being told no and then acting like a 5 year old which is what Microsoft and Activision are doing.