EU v Microsoft Neelie Kroes, the European Union competition commissioner, on Wednesday firmly rebuffed US criticism of the court judgment backing the landmark Brussels antitrust ruling against Microsoft, describing the reaction by a senior US official as “totally unacceptable”.
The European Court of First Instance on Monday upheld a 2004 ruling by the top EU antitrust regulator, dealing a severe blow to the US software group in its nine-year legal battle with the European Commission. The court found that the Commission had been right to find Microsoft guilty of abusing its Windows monopoly and backed the sanctions, including the record €497m ($690m, £345m) fine imposed by Brussels.
