Microsoft's focus shifts to Europe

The software giant is still faced with possible sanctions by the European Commission over alleged abuse of market power.

A decision on how the commission will deal with Microsoft will be taken by Competition Commissioner Mario Monti by the end of this year.

But the US decision should not influence the Commission's decision, spokeswoman Amelia Torres said.

"Our case is quite different from a factual point of view," she said.

Campaign

Mr Monti has consistently said the decisions the European Commission would have to make were very different.

"The [US] settlement does not reach over to do anything to cure the problem in Europe," insisted Ed Black, president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association in Washington.

Nevertheless, Microsoft has already started its campaign to convince Mr Monti to look closely at the settlement agreement with the US Justice Department, which was approved by a judge on Friday.

"We think that in the interests of transatlantic consistency we hope they would weigh these decisions with the other facts before them," said Microsoft's legal representative in Europe, Horacio Gutierrez.

Agreed remedies

Under the settlement in the US, Microsoft:

• must release some technical data to other software developers to enable them to write programmes for Windows

• may not retaliate against computer makers which use rival products

• must create uniform licensing terms for its software

• must allow manufacturers and customers to remove icons for some Microsoft features

This, the US Justice Department insisted, would benefit consumers.

Criticism

The European Commission is critical of Microsoft's bundling of its music and video software Media Player with its operating system Windows because it puts its competitors at a disadvantage.

The competitors include RealNetworks and QuickTime, owned by Apple.

Microsoft's efforts to make its Windows operating system work better with its own server software than with, say, Linux or other versions of the Unix operating system have also been criticised.

And the company's programs which sit in part in its servers and partly in Windows are alleged to hurt rivals including Sun Microsystems, IBM and Novell, Mr Black said.

As yet, nobody seem prepared to make a guess about Mr Monti's intentions.