Microsoft gets massive fine cut slightly
Source: Agencies |
June 28, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A European court yesterday upheld most of a massive fine levied against Microsoft by the European Commission's competition watchdog, closing a case against the software giant that began in 1998.
In an appeals ruling, the General Court of the European Union rejected Microsoft Corp's request to dismiss the fine levied in 2008, but did trim it by 39 million euros to 860 million euros (US$1.1 billion). Counting two earlier fines, the case has wound up costing Microsoft a grand total of 1.64 billion euros.
That's the most ever resulting from a single antitrust case in Europe, though in 2009 Intel Corp was hit with the largest single fine, 1.09 billion euros.
The court in Luxembourg said its decision "essentially upholds the commission's decision and rejects all the arguments put forward by Microsoft in support of annulment."
The 860 million-euro fine is a "penalty for noncompliance" with the watchdog's 2004 order for Microsoft to make computer programming code available that would allow competitors' products to interface properly with Microsoft's server software.
It did so, but at a price the commission said was exorbitant it amounted to not complying.
The court upheld that finding, but said Microsoft deserved a small break because of a letter the commission sent in 2005 saying the firm didn't have to freely distribute code that wasn't its own and was freely available elsewhere. That letter gave Microsoft some room to think it was okay to continue acting the way it had until 2004, and should have been "taken into account in determining the gravity of the conduct found to be unlawful," the written decision said.
In an appeals ruling, the General Court of the European Union rejected Microsoft Corp's request to dismiss the fine levied in 2008, but did trim it by 39 million euros to 860 million euros (US$1.1 billion). Counting two earlier fines, the case has wound up costing Microsoft a grand total of 1.64 billion euros.
That's the most ever resulting from a single antitrust case in Europe, though in 2009 Intel Corp was hit with the largest single fine, 1.09 billion euros.
The court in Luxembourg said its decision "essentially upholds the commission's decision and rejects all the arguments put forward by Microsoft in support of annulment."
The 860 million-euro fine is a "penalty for noncompliance" with the watchdog's 2004 order for Microsoft to make computer programming code available that would allow competitors' products to interface properly with Microsoft's server software.
It did so, but at a price the commission said was exorbitant it amounted to not complying.
The court upheld that finding, but said Microsoft deserved a small break because of a letter the commission sent in 2005 saying the firm didn't have to freely distribute code that wasn't its own and was freely available elsewhere. That letter gave Microsoft some room to think it was okay to continue acting the way it had until 2004, and should have been "taken into account in determining the gravity of the conduct found to be unlawful," the written decision said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
