It was not quite Jarndyce v Jarndyce but it was close. On Monday Microsoft lost its appeal against a European Commission decision that it had abused its dominant market position in a case that began nine years ago. The Commission now has a mandate to tackle companies such as Microsoft – but it should be wary of exercising that power. Rather than going on a prosecutorial rampage it should try to find timely, light-touch ways to regulate the fast-moving technology business.

The specifics of the case are as arcane as the legal proceedings and manoeuvres in Charles Dickens’ novel Bleak House. First, Microsoft integrated its Media Player with its Windows operating system, thereby crushing streaming media software produced by rivals; and second, Microsoft refused to provide certain information on its server software to competitors.