Microsoft to forgo appeal against EU decision

The software group would be concentrating on providing to its competitors the information about software interfaces that had been demanded, the spokesman declared. In addition, there now existed a Windows version for computer manufacturers without Windows Media Player. This special European Windows version would be available to retailers in the next few weeks, the spokesman noted. Microsoft furthermore announced that, on the other hand, it would not drop its complaint filed with the EU´s Court of First Instance against the decision by the Commission of March 2004.

The EU Commission had decided that Microsoft by "abusing its quasi-monopoly has violated the EU rules of competition" and imposed a record fine of 497 million euros. In the Commission's view Microsoft has used its monopoly with regard to desktop operating systems to also dominate the market for small severs for workgroups as well as to acquire a dominant position with regard to media-players. The day in December of 2004 the EU´s Court of First Instance had pronounced its ruling Microsoft had already pledged its willingness to abide by the conditions decreed by the EU Commission.