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Voice of America, Microsoft, the EU and Facebook

Microsoft, the EU and Facebook

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

This week, Microsoft agreed to end its fight against European Union competition officials.

The world's largest software company withdrew its remaining appeals at a European court. Microsoft has faced record European Union fines and may still owe more.

But it says it wants to put its energies into meeting its legal duties and strengthening its relationship with the European Commission. In 2004, the commission ordered Microsoft to share information with competitors.

This information would help them develop software for server computers to "interoperate," or work easily, with Windows. Windows is the Microsoft operating system found on more than 90% of personal computers.

The company argued that it needed to protect trade secrets. But now, Microsoft has agreed to share secret information with developers for a one-time payment of 10 000 euros.

That is about 14 000 dollars at current exchange rates. Microsoft also wanted to charge competitors almost 6% of the sales from products that use its information.

But in the end it agreed to charge less than half a percent for worldwide use. The European Union began to investigate Microsoft in 1998 after Sun Microsystems accused the company of being anti-competitive.

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, fought back. But last month, it lost a big ruling. The second-highest court in the European Union agreed that Microsoft abused its market position. In a separate case, Microsoft decided last week not to appeal a 34 million dollar fine by the Fair Trade Commission in South Korea.

But Microsoft could at least claim a victory in one of its efforts to expand its Internet business.

This week it won the right to invest in Facebook and to expand an advertising partnership with the social networking site. Facebook chose Microsoft over Google, the leading Internet search company. Microsoft will invest 240 million dollars to buy a 1 and 1.5% interest.

Microsoft values Facebook at 15 billion dollars. Facebook reportedly expects about 150 million dollars in revenue this year. The company will be four years old in February and says the site has almost fifty million active users. And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter.

I'm Jim Tedder. Our reports are online with transcripts at voaspecialenglish.com.

On the photo -European Commissioner for Competition Neelie Kroes negotiated the agreement with Microsoft


Microsoft, the EU and Facebook Microsoft, the EU and Facebook Microsoft, l'UE et Facebook

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

This week, Microsoft agreed to end its fight against European Union competition officials. Cette semaine, Microsoft a accepté de mettre fin à son combat contre les responsables de la concurrence de l'Union européenne. 今週、マイクロソフトは欧州連合の競技当局との戦いを終了することに合意した。

The world’s largest software company withdrew its remaining appeals at a European court. Das weltgrößte Softwareunternehmen hat seine verbliebenen Berufungen vor einem europäischen Gericht zurückgezogen. La plus grande société de logiciels au monde a retiré ses appels restants devant un tribunal européen. Крупнейшая софтверная компания мира отозвала оставшиеся апелляции в европейском суде. Microsoft has faced record European Union fines and may still owe more. Microsoft a fait face à des amendes record de l'Union européenne et pourrait encore en devoir davantage. マイクロソフトは、欧州連合(EU)の罰金に直面しており、さらに義務づけられているかもしれない Microsoft heeft te maken gehad met recordboetes van de Europese Unie en is mogelijk nog meer verschuldigd. Microsoft столкнулась с рекордными штрафами Европейского союза и может все еще быть обязана больше.

But it says it wants to put its energies into meeting its legal duties and strengthening its relationship with the European Commission. Mais il dit vouloir mettre ses énergies à remplir ses obligations légales et à renforcer ses relations avec la Commission européenne. しかし、それはそのエネルギーを法的義務に合致させ、欧州委員会との関係を強化することを望んでいると言います。 Но в нем говорится, что он хочет приложить свои силы к выполнению своих юридических обязанностей и укреплению своих отношений с Европейской комиссией. In 2004, the commission ordered Microsoft to share information with competitors. В 2004 году комиссия приказала Microsoft обмениваться информацией с конкурентами.

This information would help them develop software for server computers to "interoperate," or work easily, with Windows. Ces informations les aideraient à développer des logiciels pour que les ordinateurs serveurs « interagissent » ou fonctionnent facilement avec Windows. 이 정보는 서버 컴퓨터가 Windows와 "상호 운용"하거나 쉽게 작동 할 수있는 소프트웨어를 개발하는 데 도움이됩니다. Windows is the Microsoft operating system found on more than 90% of personal computers.

The company argued that it needed to protect trade secrets. La société a fait valoir qu'elle devait protéger les secrets commerciaux. But now, Microsoft has agreed to share secret information with developers for a one-time payment of 10 000 euros. Mais voilà que Microsoft a accepté de partager des informations secrètes avec les développeurs moyennant un paiement unique de 10 000 euros. しかし今、マイクロソフトは、1万ユーロの1回払いで秘密情報を開発者と共有することに同意しています。

That is about 14 000 dollars at current exchange rates. Microsoft also wanted to charge competitors almost 6% of the sales from products that use its information. マイクロソフトはまた、情報を使用する製品からの売上の約6%を競合他社に課したがっていました。 Microsoft также хотела взимать с конкурентов почти 6% от продаж продуктов, которые используют ее информацию.

But in the end it agreed to charge less than half a percent for worldwide use. The European Union began to investigate Microsoft in 1998 after Sun Microsystems accused the company of being anti-competitive. Die Europäische Union begann 1998 mit Ermittlungen gegen Microsoft, nachdem Sun Microsystems dem Unternehmen vorgeworfen hatte, wettbewerbswidrig zu sein. 欧州連合(EU)は、サンマイクロシステムズが反競争的であると非難した後、1998年にMicrosoftを調査し始めた。

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, fought back. 米ワシントン州レドモンドに本拠を置くマイクロソフト社が争った。 But last month, it lost a big ruling. Aber letzten Monat verlor es eine große Entscheidung. しかし、先月、それは大きな判決を失った。 Но в прошлом месяце он потерял большое решение. The second-highest court in the European Union agreed that Microsoft abused its market position. 欧州連合(EU)の二番目に高い裁判所は、マイクロソフト社が市場の地位を乱用したことに同意した。 In a separate case, Microsoft decided last week not to appeal a 34 million dollar fine by the Fair Trade Commission in South Korea. In einem anderen Fall entschied Microsoft vergangene Woche, gegen eine Geldstrafe von 34 Millionen Dollar der Fair Trade Commission in Südkorea keine Berufung einzulegen. 別のケースでは、Microsoftは先週、韓国の公正取引委員会による3400万ドルの罰金を上訴しないことを決定した。

But Microsoft could at least claim a victory in one of its efforts to expand its Internet business. しかし、マイクロソフトは、少なくともインターネット事業を拡大しようとする努力の中で勝利を挙げることができた。

This week it won the right to invest in Facebook and to expand an advertising partnership with the social networking site. 今週は、Facebookに投資し、ソーシャルネットワーキングサイトとの広告提携を拡大する権利を獲得しました。 На этой неделе она получила право инвестировать в Facebook и расширить рекламное партнерство с социальной сетью. Facebook chose Microsoft over Google, the leading Internet search company. Facebookは、インターネット検索業界のトップ企業であるG​​oogleよりも、Microsoftを選んだ。 Microsoft will invest 240 million dollars to buy a 1 and 1.5% interest. Microsoft wird 240 Millionen Dollar investieren, um eine 1- und 1,5-prozentige Beteiligung zu kaufen. マイクロソフトは、1億5千万ドルの利息を購入するために2億4000万ドルを投資する。

Microsoft values Facebook at 15 billion dollars. MicrosoftはFacebookに150億ドルの価値を与えている。 Facebook reportedly expects about 150 million dollars in revenue this year. Facebookは今年、約1億5000万ドルの収入を期待していると伝えられている。 The company will be four years old in February and says the site has almost fifty million active users. 同社は2月に4歳になる予定で、同サイトには約5,000万人のアクティブユーザーがいるとしている。 And that’s the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter.

I’m Jim Tedder. Our reports are online with transcripts at voaspecialenglish.com.

On the photo -European Commissioner for Competition Neelie Kroes negotiated the agreement with Microsoft 写真 - 欧州競争委員長Neelie KroesはMicrosoftとの契約を交渉した