Free software group wades into EU Microsoft probe

The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) has formally requested that it has its views taken into account by the EU in its hearings against Microsoft.

The request follows the World Information Summit in Tunis last week, where FSFE alleges that Microsoft insisted any mention of free software be removed from the conference statement.

"Yesterday there was a hearing in Brussels regarding the 'Intellectual Property Rights European Enforcement Directive' (IPRED2) - a directive pushed by the rights-holding industry to raise the barriers around their distribution monopolies," said Georg Greve, president of the FSFE.

"Last week we discovered how Microsoft was able to rewrite the Vienna Conclusions on ICT and Creativity for the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS). All these initiatives aim at limiting the freedom of software developers and normal people in their everyday life alike."

The request comes after evidence emerged that Microsoft was co-opting other US companies to help it in its fight over the EU's ruling that it violated competition rules and must release drivers to other organisations. Microsoft has appealed the ruling.