Microsoft faces further antitrust fines

Microsoft may be fined by the European Commission under antitrust rules, for allegedly setting unreasonable prices to provide software rivals with interoperability information. Microsoft plans to charge for interoperability information on the grounds that it was based on its own innovative work.

In a statement, European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said that the Commission’s view was that there was no significant innovation in the protocols and that formal measures would be take to ensure that Microsoft complies with its obligations.

Microsoft has four weeks to reply to the charges.

The Commission rejected 1,500 pages of information provided by Microsoft and is still reviewing whether interoperability information submitted earlier by the company is complete and accurate.

The latest allegations follow a previous antitrust ruling against Microsoft in 2004, which said Microsoft had failed to provide information to rivals which they needed to compete fairly in the market for server software.

Microsoft has appealed against the original 2004 decision and a European court is due to decide on the case in 2007.