EU warns Microsoft over Vista feature set

By Simon Aughton

Posted on 29 Mar 2006 at 14:11

The EU Competition Commissioner has warned Microsoft that it will not be allowed to sell Windows Vista in Europe if contains certain features.

Neelie Kroes wrote to the company last week to express her concerns, which centre on Microsoft's plans for Internet searching. A spokesman for Kroes said that the EU is concerned that Microsoft could use Internet Explorer 7 to 'unfairly direct computer users to Microsoft's own search service'.

Google is among a number of search companies that have contacted the EU to express their concerns over this.

Microsoft told the Wall Street Journal (via Reuters) that it was not aware of Kroes' letter and therefore could not comment.

European Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd said that the EU will begin new proceedings against Microsoft if, like Windows XP, Vista is deemed to break competition laws.

'We are concerned about the possibility that the next Vista operating system will include various elements which are currently available separately from Microsoft or other companies,' Todd said.

'We assume Microsoft has its own interest at heart and it wants to launch another product without having to worry about the Commission instituting various actions under antitrust law because of this product,' he added.

Microsoft has already confirmed that it will release an 'N' version of Vista, which, like XP B, will be stripped on Windows Media Player functionality to comply with the EU's 2004 ruling on the company's anti-competitive practices.