Microsoft loses EU antitrust appeal
by Colin Dodd
FT.com / In depth – Microsoft loses EU antitrust appeal
Microsoft faces the threat of fresh antitrust probes and escalating financial penalties after a top European Union court upheld Brussels’ landmark 2004 competition ruling that found the world’s biggest software group guilty of abusing its dominant market position.
The judgment by the European Court of First Instance handed a historic victory to the European Commission in its nine-year legal battle with Microsoft, and gives the regulator crucial backing to expand its investigation.
In the longer-term, the court’s decision to uphold the Commission’s tough line against dominant companies may also pave the way for closer scrutiny of other technology giants such as Google, Apple and IBM.
