A top European Commission official said today the EU executive would continue to monitor Microsoft's purchase of anti-piracy software firm ContentGuard Holdings.
Earlier, the commission said it lacked authority to review the deal once Microsoft had extended its purchase from a two-way joint venture with Time Warner to a three-way partnership including France's Thomson.
Commission Competition Director Philip Lowe acknowledged there was no solution but to withdraw, but he added: "That doesn't necessarily remove any antitrust concerns in the long term.
"We'll have to monitor what goes on in the market," he told reporters at the European Parliament. The European Commission has authority to examine plans by groups of companies to limit competition in the marketplace.