Microsoft to face EU antitrust fines - report

The European Union's competition watchdog is set to issue a formal ruling finding Microsoft guilty of breaking EU competition…

The European Union's competition watchdog is set to issue a formal ruling finding Microsoft guilty of breaking EU competition rules, the Financial Timesreported today.

The paper said Microsoft could face fines of up to €2 million a day.

The Financial Timessaid the European Commission's antitrust directorate had drafted a ruling finding that Microsoft had failed to fully implement the EU's March 2004 antitrust decision.

That decision included an order to provide rival companies with "complete and accurate" information about its Windows operating system, a step Brussels has said is needed for other firms to build products compatible with the Microsoft system.

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"The commission's process calls for an advisory committee meeting, so this comes as no surprise," Microsoft said in a statement, adding it had committed "massive resources to the technical documentation program" and had already delivered five of seven instalments.

"The next two instalments will be submitted on June 30th and July 18th, and Microsoft is working hard to also meet those deadlines," it said.

"Given that the technical engagement is producing results and that Microsoft has complied fully with every instruction given by the commission and the trustee, any fine would be unjustified and unnecessary."