Two months after the EU (European Union) slapped a record 899 million Euros ($1.39 billion dollar approx) fine on Microsoft for non-compliance with a 2004 antitrust order, the software giant has now lodged an appeal seeking clarity from European courts.
In a statement, a Microsoft spokesman said that the company has filed an application with the Court of First Instance to annul the European Commission's decision of Feb 27. That filing the appeal is a constructive effort to seek clarity from the court. Meanwhile, a European Commission (EC) spokesman said that the grounds for the fine are sound. That the EC is confident that the decision to impose the fine is legally founded.
The fine of 899 million Euros is the largest ever to have been imposed on a single firm. Apparently, the decision comes with Microsoft continuing to abuse its powerful market position even after the EU's March 2004 decision requiring the company to change its practices.
An investigation into the company's behavior was triggered off by a 1998 complaint by Sun Microsystems. Sun alleged that Microsoft was refusing to supply information that servers needed to be able to work with Windows. Although this information was eventually made available to rivals, it was at unreasonable prices, which rendered the offer of the information pointless.
After the imposition of the fine, Microsoft still continues to be under the EU scanner with EU having launched a fresh probe into issues relating to Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer.
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