EU Formally Ends Microsoft Antitrust Case
December 16, 2009 by admin
BRUSSELS–The European Commission Wednesday accepted to settle its remaining antitrust issues with Microsoft Corp., ending a decade-long battle over the software giant’s monopolistic business practises.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, agreed to abandon its case against Microsoft over whether the software giant is illegally abusing its dominance in the Internet browser markets without a fine, in return for a legally binding commitment from Microsoft to start marketing rivals’ browsers alongside its own Internet Explorer.
“Millions of European consumers will benefit from this decision by having a free choice about which web browser they use,” said Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes.
The commission had accused Microsoft of crushing rivals and stifling innovation by including its own Internet Explorer browsers in its dominant Windows operating system.
By asking Microsoft to deliver a ballot screen of browser choices to Windows users in Europe, the commission is expecting to increase the market share of rival browsers, which include Mozilla’s Firefox, Google Inc.’s Chrome, Apple Inc.’s Safari and Opera Software ASA’s browser.
Giving consumers choice will improve people’s experience of the Internet and gives an incentive for Web browser companies to innovate and offer people better browsers in the future, Ms. Kroes added.
The commission will also conclude its investigation into an alleged lack of information from Microsoft on how to make its Office software suite and other products work with competitors’ software, provided that Microsoft shares technical information with rivals to let their products work better with a range of Microsoft software, including Windows, the Exchange email system and the Office suite.
Closing the two cases cleans the slate for Microsoft in Brussels, having been fined over $2 billion by the European antitrust regulator for various antitrust breaches.
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