Thanks to Mictlantecuhtli for this one, it looks like in order to prevent Microsoft from using its dominance in PC operating systems to control field of digital rights management, EU regulators are considering blocking Microsoft's acquisition of an influential DRM patent holder.

"The reason for the EC's concern is that ContentGuard owns key patents based on early 1990s work by Mark Stefik, a researcher at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center, on DRM technologies. These include machine-readable markup languages to attach rights to content so that, for example, an article could be read but not printed, or a rights-holder could specify how many times a song could be played. The technologies also include the ability to attach fee-charging mechanisms, and other such basic DRM ideas."

Even although Microsoft is an American company, they will certainly listen to a voice as powerful as the EU. They would be foolish not to.

My attitude towards the EU gets better and better every day

Nic> See, no MS or windows bashing from me