EU After Microsoft – Again

The EU has launched two new probes against the software giant, not long after fining it $745 million.

It seems as if Microsoft can’t win in Europe. Last October it agreed to give third-party developers access to help make systems interoperable withWindows after losing an appeal against a verdict that it broke EU competition laws and being fined $745 million.   Now the European Commission haslaunched two fresh investigations against the company.   The first brings up, once again, the issue of whether it unfairly ties the IE browser to the Windows OS, following a complaint byOpera, which is based in Norway. The second, raised by the European Committee for Interoperable Systems, will look at theinteroperability of Microsoft’s software with products made by others.   "This initiation of proceedings does not imply that the Commission has proof of an infringement," theCommission insisted in a statement. "It only signifies that the Commission will further investigate the case as a matter of priority."