EU's Microsoft probe separate from US case -Monti
TUESDAY, JULY 03, 2001 1:10 PM
- Reuters
STRASBOURG, France, July 3 (Reuters) - European Competition Commissioner Mario Monti said on Tuesday that the Commission's probe of Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ NM:MSFT) was not linked to the U.S. antitrust case against the software giant.
The U.S. appeals court in Washington D.C. last week overturned a lower-court order that would have split Microsoft in two, but left intact a finding that some of Microsoft's business conduct amounted to illegal maintenance of its Windows monopoly.
The European Commission is probing whether Microsoft is trying to dominate the server market by making its software incompatible with the servers of rivals.
Monti declined comment on the U.S. ruling at a news conference in Strasbourg, France.
"I would simply like to stress that our investigations of Microsoft are factually and legally separate from the U.S. appeals case," he said.
"Whereas the U.S. case deals with practices relating to the browser market, our case is concerned with the leveraging of a dominant position from the PC (personal computer) to the server," he added.
"We will therefore continue to examine our own Microsoft cases according to the well-established legal standards and procedures," he said.
"Nevertheless, there are of course certain common features with regard to the industry that is being considered, and in this respect my services (staff) are examining the court of appeals' judgment with interest," Monti said.
REUTERS
Rtr 13:10 07-03-01
Selector Code: reuco
Copyright 2001, Reuters News Service
TUESDAY, JULY 03, 2001 1:10 PM
- Reuters
STRASBOURG, France, July 3 (Reuters) - European Competition Commissioner Mario Monti said on Tuesday that the Commission's probe of Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ NM:MSFT) was not linked to the U.S. antitrust case against the software giant.
The U.S. appeals court in Washington D.C. last week overturned a lower-court order that would have split Microsoft in two, but left intact a finding that some of Microsoft's business conduct amounted to illegal maintenance of its Windows monopoly.
The European Commission is probing whether Microsoft is trying to dominate the server market by making its software incompatible with the servers of rivals.
Monti declined comment on the U.S. ruling at a news conference in Strasbourg, France.
"I would simply like to stress that our investigations of Microsoft are factually and legally separate from the U.S. appeals case," he said.
"Whereas the U.S. case deals with practices relating to the browser market, our case is concerned with the leveraging of a dominant position from the PC (personal computer) to the server," he added.
"We will therefore continue to examine our own Microsoft cases according to the well-established legal standards and procedures," he said.
"Nevertheless, there are of course certain common features with regard to the industry that is being considered, and in this respect my services (staff) are examining the court of appeals' judgment with interest," Monti said.
REUTERS
Rtr 13:10 07-03-01
Selector Code: reuco
Copyright 2001, Reuters News Service
