Gloves come off in Microsoft versus Symantec row

AFTER A FEW months of quietly moving behind the scenes, security outfit Symantec has openly accused Microsoft of abusing its monopoly by releasing Vista.

According to Associated Press, Symantec said that Vole was deliberately withholding information needed to develop products that work on Windows Vista.

Using language that is similar to the wording of an anti-trust complaint, Rowan Trollope, Symantec's vice president for consumer engineering said that Microsoft was using its "dominant position to regulate what security can be provided on their system and how that security is provided".

So far Symantec hasn't filed a formal complaint against Microsoft, but it is clear that the language is using is supposed to pressure Microsoft to release software development kits that would allow rival products to communicate with Vista.

Symantec has allies among European antitrust regulators and has said that it may make a formal complaint to the European Commission if Microsoft does not respond.

Apparently Microsoft told Symantec that it would give details to rival venders "the day Vista ships".

More here. µ