Microsoft’s European antitrust trouble has intensified with some of the computer giant’s largest rivals filing new complaints charging antitrust abuses.
IBM, Oracle, Sun Microsystems, Nokia, Red Hat, RealNetworks, Opera, Corel and Linspire have submitted a formal complaint to the European Commission charging that Microsoft continues to abuse its dominant position in the software market in spite of a 2004 European antitrust ruling against it.
The commission said Microsoft has not complied with its antitrust ruling and is threatening to fine the company as much as $2.4 million a day for violations.
The New York Times reported that the commission’s apparent inability to get Microsoft to comply with the ruling had frustrated many of Microsoft’s rivals, but the threat of daily fines has restored the commission’s credibility and spurred the competitors to further action.
