EU fines Microsoft Euro 899m for unreasonable pricing

The European Commission has imposed a penalty payment of Euro 899m on Microsoft for non-compliance with an antitrust decision.

The decision follows Microsoft’s non-compliance with the Commission’s March 2004 decision.

In March 2004 the European Commission concluded, after a five-year investigation, that Microsoft Corporation broke European Union competition law by leveraging its near monopoly in the market for computer operating systems and media players.

“Microsoft was the first company in fifty years of EU competition policy that the Commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an antitrust decision.

The Commission’s Decision of March 2004 required Microsoft to disclose complete and accurate interoperability information to developers of work group server operating systems on reasonable terms.

Today’s Decision finds that, prior to 22 October 2007, Microsoft had charged unreasonable prices for access to interface documentation for work group servers.

European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, said: ‘Microsoft was the first company in fifty years of EU competition policy that the Commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an antitrust decision. I hope that today's Decision closes a dark chapter in Microsoft's record of non-compliance with the Commission’s March 2004 Decision and that the principles confirmed by the Court of First Instance ruling of September 2007 will govern Microsoft's future conduct.’