Microsoft appeals EU fine
2008-05-10 11:03
San Francisco - Microsoft Corp said on Friday it's appealing a $1.4bn fine handed down earlier this year by European regulators for the software giant's failure to comply with an antitrust ruling.
"We are filing this appeal in a constructive effort to seek clarity from the court. We will not be saying anything further," Microsoft said in a statement.
The European Court of First Instance in September confirmed a 2004 finding by the European Commission that Microsoft had used its popular Windows operating system to elbow rivals out of related markets.
Microsoft has fought an ongoing battle with European antitrust regulators, which have been prodded by Microsoft rivals including Sun Microsystems Inc and IBM Corp.
In October, Microsoft announced it wouldn't appeal the European court's decision, and in February the commission handed down a related $1.38bn fine.
Combined with earlier fines from the commission, that pushed Microsoft's total fines above the €1.5bn it had previously projected it might face.
Microsoft indicated at the time that it would be "reviewing the Commission's action".
- Dow Jones