Microsoft loses European appeal

[sh15uya]

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Microsoft lost its appeal of a European antitrust order Monday that obliges the technology giant to share communications code with rivals, sell a copy of Windows without Media Player and pay a $613 million fine — the largest ever by EU regulators.

The EU Court of First Instance ruled against Microsoft on both parts of the case, saying the European Commission was correct in concluding that the world's biggest software company was guilty of monopoly abuse in trying to use its power over desktop computers to muscle into server software.

Microsoft Corp., based in Redmond, Wash., said it would withhold comment on the decision and on whether it would appeal to the EU's highest court, the European Court of Justice, until it had gone through the 248-page ruling. It has two months to appeal. Microsoft earned $14.07 billion last fiscal year.

[...]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070917/ap_on_hi_te/eu_microsoft