EU Warns Microsoft Over Vista Features

According to reports in the Wall Street Journal and elsewhere, a letter from EU antitrust official Neelie Kroes to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer warns the Redmond software company that the EU is concerned applications and features to be bundled with Windows Vista may violate European Union antitrust regulations. Although the EU has not released the text of the letter, some of the primary concerns are said to surround PDF creation, internet search features, and digital rights management; additional industry speculation has centered on built-in computer security features. However, Kroes told the Wall Street Journal she hasn’t decided whether a new investigation into Microsoft is warranted.

The EU’s latest concerns come just one day before European Commission regulators meet to determine whether Microsoft is complying with terms of a 2004 antitrust ruling. If found in violation, Microsoft could face fines of