EU Court Upholds Record Microsoft Fine

Rejects appeal on $613M antitrust fine

By Sam Gale Rosen, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 17, 2007 7:05 AM CDT

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EU Court Upholds Record Microsoft Fine — Microsoft General Counsel, Brad Smith, addresses the media after the European Union's Court of First Instance dismissed Microsoft Corp.'s appeal of a landmark antitrust ruling, Luxembourg, Monday, Sept. 17, 2007. The court upheld a record 2004 fine of 497 million (US$613 million) for the U.S. software... (Associated Press)

A European Union court today rejected Microsoft's appeal of the $613-million anti-trust fine handed down in 2004--the largest fine ever imposed by EU regulators. Microsoft will also have to share communication code with rivals and start selling copies of Windows without its Media Player program. Microsoft is expected to appeal the decision to the European Court of Justice, the AP reports.

The court backed the EU commission's decision on both fronts: that Microsoft was unfairly using its dominance in desktop computers to extend its reach into server software, and that bundling of its Media Player program with all copies of Windows hurt competitors. "I don't want to talk about what will come next. We need to read the ruling before we make any decision," said a Microsoft lawyer. (More Microsoft stories.)

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