European Commission
ORG
European Commission
Microsoft's battle with the European Commission escalated, as the company accused the commission of colluding with its competitors in the software market and of again withholding documents it says are crucial to its defense in an antitrust case. With the threat of daily fines of 2 million euros hanging over it, Microsoft is facing a new suit brought just before Christmas, when the commission accused the company of failing to honor the antitrust ruling made in March 2004. In that ruling, the commission found the company is guilty of monopoly abuse and ordered it to change the way it sold its software in Europe. Microsoft's battle with the European Commission escalated, as the company accused the commission of colluding with its competitors in the software market and of again withholding documents it says are crucial to its defense in an antitrust case. With the threat of daily fines of 2 million euros hanging over it, Microsoft is facing a new suit brought just before Christmas, when the commission accused the company of failing to honor the antitrust ruling made in March 2004. In that ruling, the commission found the company guilty of monopoly abuse and ordered it to change the way it sold its software in Europe. The commission acknowledged receipt of Microsoft's second written response, but declined to comment on it or on whether it would be admissible given that it was filed more than two weeks past the deadline.