EU threatens new fines against Microsoft

[helderheid]

Ironically, there is a Mac vs PC ad on the same page as the report! :rofl:

BRUSSELS, Belgium

The European Union threatened Microsoft Corp. on Thursday with fines as high as euro3 million (US$4 million) a day, claiming the software company was still not offering a fair deal to rivals seeking to make Windows-compatible server products.

Microsoft said the EU Commission's demands were not reasonable. "We believe we have been fair in setting" prices for the information, said Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith.

"It is hard to see how the Commission can argue that even patented innovation must be made available for free," he said in a statement.

The EU complained that three years after a landmark antitrust ruling to open up the market, the U.S. software giant still refused to cooperate. "This is a company which apparently does not like to have to conform with antitrust decisions," said EU Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd.

Under a 2004 antitrust ruling by the European Union, Microsoft had to disclose complete and accurate interface documentation on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, allowing its competitors to interoperate with Windows PCs and servers.

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http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8NJE2V00.htm