Microsoft EC appeal ready
p2pnet.net News:- Having been fined e497.2 million ($612.106M) by the EC for abusing its monopoly, Microsoft will lodge official appeal to the European Commission next week.
Microsoft acted "as a brake on innovation" and harmed both the market and consumers by producing "less choice and higher prices", the EC decided, says an IDG News Service story here, going on:
"It was told to produce a new version of Windows with its media player tied in, as well as open up part of its code so other products could interoperate with it better.
"Needless to say, Microsoft didn’t like this, and announced the same day that it would appeal."
However, says the story, Microsoft is filing its appeal only and, "A request to stay the measures imposed by the Commission will be made separate from the appeal and will be filed with the Court of First Instance later this month."
It also points out that an appeal to the European Court of First Instance will take at least three years and in the meantime, "the Court may turn down Microsoft’s upcoming request to suspend the remedies until after the appeal, forcing the company to change the way it does business in Europe almost immediately".
