Microsoft lawyer touts EU opportunities
Seattle Times | at | by Mike
After spending months in Europe in antitrust negotiations that ultimately proved unsuccessful, the last thing Brad Smith might want to do is give a speech about opportunities on that continent.
But Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, took on the challenge yesterday, gamely recounting his company's adventures there at a breakfast sponsored by the Seattle-based Council of European Chambers of Commerce.
Microsoft opened offices in Europe early in the company's history, although at the time software piracy was rampant in many countries there, he said. The company worked with governments to pass anti-piracy laws, and it expanded as the software industry grew on the continent.