Europe’s second-highest court heard Microsoft’s appeal against the EC’s record $613m fine and other remedies in April 2006 and will announce its decision on September 17, according to Reuters.
The Competition Commission originally imposed the $613m fine, as well as other remedies, including disclosing interface documentation to enable non-Windows servers to interoperate with Windows-based PCs, and offering PC manufacturers a version of the Windows operating system without Windows Media, after Microsoft was found guilty of violating European competition laws in March 2004.
While Microsoft launched a version of its Windows XP operating system without Windows Media Player, conforming to other sanctions has not been as smooth. The company is also appealing fines imposed after the Commission decided that its technical documentation did not enable competitors to achieve full interoperability with Windows PCs and servers.
Separately, Microsoft has also appealed to the Court of First Instance to rule on whether its interoperability information should be made available to open source software suppliers.
