EU sticks to its antitrust guns as Microsoft settles with rivals

By Steve Malone

Posted on 9 Nov 2004 at 09:34

The European Union intends to carry on its fight with Microsoft over the long running anti-trust dispute, despite yesterday's announcement that the software giant had settled its differences with Novell and the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CIAA).

Following yesterday's deal between Microsoft and Novell, it was announced that Novell would no longer take part in the action against Microsoft.

Currently Microsoft is appealing in the European Court of First Instance (CFI) against an anti-trust penalties imposed earlier this year which after the company was found guilty of illegal behaviour. The EU Commission found that during the 1990s it persistently used its monopoly in PC operating systems to lock the competition out of other markets.

As a result, Microsoft was fined a record €500mn and told to open its code to rivals. Since then it has done deal with most of its accusers in court including Sun and Novell. Now only Real Networks remains as a participant in the appeal.

Speaking on behalf of the European Commission, Amelia Torres said that the deals with Novell and CIAA, 'do not alter the necessity for immediate implementation of the remedies in order to restore effective competition in the market.'

She added in a statement, 'we do not see how the interim measures case before the CFI can be affected. The decisions by Novell and the CCIA to no longer participate in these proceedings do not change the facts before the court.'