Aoife White

July 13, 2006 | Legaltech News

The European Union levied a second massive fine on Microsoft and threatened greater penalties in the future unless the world's largest software company obeys a 2004 antitrust order to share technical details of its Windows operating system with rivals.

By Aoife White

5 minute read

October 22, 2007 | Law.com

Microsoft Corp. dropped a nearly decade-long legal battle with European regulators Oct. 22, agreeing to key parts of an antitrust ruling that has already led to hundreds of millions in fines. The world's largest software company will slash the royalty fees it charges rivals for critical interoperability information needed to make programs that work smoothly with Microsoft's ubiquitous Windows.

By Aoife White

4 minute read

December 14, 2007 | Legaltech News

Web browser developer Opera Software complained to the EU about Microsoft, calling on regulators to make the company give users a choice of Internet software with its Windows operating system. The Norwegian company also alleged that Microsoft was not following accepted Web standards.

By Aoife White

4 minute read

April 03, 2006 | Legaltech News

Microsoft reported a breakthrough Friday in its antitrust case with the European Union after an independent monitor outlined how the company could avoid daily fines of $2.4 million. EU officials and Microsoft rivals are skeptical, claiming the company still hasn't shared technical information that could help rivals make Windows-compatible software. Microsoft insists it has complied with the EU's 2004 antitrust order, which forced the company to pay the EU's largest ever antitrust fine, $613 million.

By Aoife White

4 minute read

March 13, 2006 | Law.com

The European Commission told Microsoft on Friday that it was "still not in compliance" with a 2004 antitrust ruling that ordered it to share information with rivals to make their software work with Microsoft servers. The EU has already threatened the company with $2.4 million in daily fines, and said it will make its final decision after a hearing for Microsoft to plead its case later this month.

By Aoife White

4 minute read

December 20, 2007 | Law.com

MasterCard must drop fees it charges for cross-border transactions or face daily fines of 3.5 percent of daily global turnover, European Union regulators said Tuesday. The European Commission said that multilateral interchange fees charged to consumers for payments made in a different European country with either their MasterCard credit cards or Maestro debit cards unfairly inflated costs for retailers. The EU Competition Commissioner will also reopen a probe into Visa's fees on Dec. 31.

By Aoife White

4 minute read

July 05, 2007 | Law.com

Europe's major consumer group, BEUC, said Wednesday it feared that Internet search engine Google Inc.'s takeover of online ad tracker DoubleClick Inc. would damage European Union privacy rights and limit consumers' choice of Web content. The world's largest Internet search engine relies on its cookies and user logs to compile information of the search terms entered into specific Web browsers -- as well as other potentially sensitive online information.

By Aoife White

4 minute read

April 19, 2006 | Law.com

A Massachusetts court has rejected Microsoft's request to force rival Novell to hand over European Union correspondence that Microsoft claims it needs to defend itself against antitrust charges in Europe. U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf wrote, "It is now evident that granting Microsoft the discovery it requests from Novell would interfere with the foreign tribunal, not assist it." Microsoft is appealing the ruling, and the case will be heard next week by the EU's second-highest court.

By Aoife White

3 minute read

December 17, 2007 | Law.com

In an unusual move, European lawmakers will press fiercely independent antitrust regulators next month to look at data privacy issues surrounding Google Inc.'s takeover of online ad tracker DoubleClick. The $3.1 billion deal has already spurred rivals and consumer advocates to complain about the control they say it would give Google, the world's largest search engine, over Internet advertising and personal information.

By Aoife White

4 minute read

February 14, 2007 | Law.com

Google lost a copyright lawsuit Tuesday to Belgian newspapers that had demanded it remove headlines and links to articles posted on its news site without permission. The ruling, if it stands on appeal, could set a precedent for how Web search engines link to copyrighted material in the world of online news, according to the Belgian copyright group that launched the case. But Google said the judgment -- which confirms an initial ruling in September -- would not necessarily carry influence in other areas.

By Aoife White

4 minute read