The European Commission has warned Microsoft that it faces further fines in its competition case for seeking unreasonable prices from software makers for information which would allow them to operate with Windows.
The latest formal charges could lead to new fines against the US software giant, the Commission said in a statement.
The Commission found in 2004 that Microsoft violated EU competition rules by failing to give information to other makers of small-business servers needed to compete with Microsoft's own products.
Microsoft has said it would be charging for interoperability information because it was based on its own innovative work.
'The Commission's current view is that there is no significant innovation in these protocols,' European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in a statement. Microsoft has four weeks to reply to the charges. The Commission rejected 1,500 pages of information provided by Microsoft.
The Commission said it was still reviewing whether information submitted earlier to help software makers develop programmes that run smoothly with Microsoft's Windows operating system is complete and accurate. Microsoft has appealed the original 2004 decision to a European court which is due to decide on the case this year.
Story from RTÉ Business:
http://www.rte.ie/business/2007/0301/microsoft.html
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