The European Commission will next month hold hearings in its own
antitrust case against Microsoft. It is currently studying the
terms of the settlement reached between Microsoft and the US
Department of Justice and is expected to reach a decision early
next year, according to an Associated Press report.
Competition Commissioner Mario Monti told the Associated Press,
“It’s definitely too early to say to what extent the settlement in
the US resolves those concerns which have been identified in our
statements of objections.”
On 30th August, the Commission informed Microsoft in a Statement
of Objections that it believed that the company may have violated
European antitrust rules by using illegal practices to extend its
dominant position in the market for personal computer operating
systems into the market for low-end server operating systems.
The Commission also alleged that Microsoft was illegally tying
its Media Player with Windows. This Statement of Objections
supplemented one sent to the company a year ago and extended the
Commission's concerns that Microsoft's actions may harm innovation
and restrict choice for consumers.
The Commission will hear from industry representatives on 20th
and 21st December.
