Microsoft was fined $ 357 million

The European Commission (EC) yesterday (July 12) decided to fine Microsoft software company $ 357.3 million for failing to fully comply with the rulings of the 2004 antitrust lawsuit.

Accordingly, the above penalty will be applied for the period from December 16, 2004 to June 20, 2006 - equivalent to a fine of about $ 1.9 million a day. However, the EC said that the committee would double the fine if Microsoft continued not to comply with the verdict since July 31.

Neelie Kroes, the Commissioner for Competition and also the head of EC's antitrust agency, said at a press conference in Brussels yesterday. " All decisions made in March 2004 were completely clear and transparent. At the same time to encourage Microsoft to fully comply with the above rulings, the Commission decided to set a ceiling for possible penalties. apply to this software company ".

It can be said that the penalty is relatively heavy, but it may not be enough for Microsoft. In the first three months of 2006 alone, the software giant pocketed a profit of up to $ 3 billion. Thus, the penalty is only equivalent to the profit that Microsoft earned within 10 days.

The fine imposed by the EC on Microsoft is based on the rulings of antitrust lawsuits in 2004. According to this ruling, Microsoft was forced to provide the necessary information to enable competitors to distribute Develop products that work smoothly and fully compatible with Microsoft's Windows operating system. Not only that, Microsoft must also license the use of compatible connection procedures at a more reasonable price.

But the verdict is still ruling, Microsoft still leaves it. That's why the European Commission decided to set a deadline of December 15 to force Microsoft to comply with the rulings or face a fine of up to $ 2.5 million a day.

" I am really sorry that it has been more than two years since the final ruling was issued in addition to the requirements of the jury president of the High Court that Microsoft still failed to fulfill its decisions. antitrust lawsuit , "said Kroes.

Microsoft has a plan to resist the EC's decision.

" We fully respect the European Commission but we do not think that the fine is completely unreasonable when there is still a lack of transparency in the EC's judgments as well as the goodwill efforts of We have been in the last two years , "said Brad Smith, the chief lawyer of Microsoft 's lawyers, at a press conference yesterday.

" Microsoft told me that they are working hard to provide the necessary documents to comply with the rulings. Unfortunately, if they did this in the last two years or so, they would not suffer a sentence. Such a fine , "said Mrs. Kroes.

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