Aoife White

January 26, 2006 | Law.com

Under threat of daily fines by European Union regulators, Microsoft says it will offer its commercial rivals access to a "pretty significant" chunk of the source code for its Windows operating system. Responding to an EU antitrust ruling, Microsoft in December had offered its competitors thousands of pages of documentation and free technical support on communications protocols for its software for running servers -- but an independent monitor called those documents "totally unfit" for the intended purpose.

By Aoife White

4 minute read

February 23, 2006 | Law.com

The European Committee for Interoperable Systems, which includes IBM, Oracle and Sun Microsystems, Wednesday filed a complaint with the European Commission, alleging Microsoft's business practices threaten to deny real choice among competing software products. Strong antitrust law enforcement seems to the only way to stop "the sustained anticompetitive behavior of Microsoft," according to ECIS chairman Simon Awde. Microsoft said the companies were responding to innovation with litigation.

By Aoife White

4 minute read

January 26, 2006 | Legaltech News

Under threat of daily fines by European Union regulators, Microsoft says it will offer its commercial rivals access to a "pretty significant" chunk of the source code for its Windows operating system. Responding to an EU antitrust ruling, Microsoft in December had offered its competitors thousands of pages of documentation and free technical support on communications protocols for its software for running servers -- but an independent monitor called those documents "totally unfit" for the intended purpose.

By Aoife White

4 minute read

April 19, 2006 | Legaltech News

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. The case will be heard next week by the EU's second-highest court.

By Aoife White

3 minute read

December 14, 2006 | Corporate Counsel

Electronics manufacturers on Wednesday threatened legal action to force European governments to drop an extra charge on iPods and blank CDs after EU regulators backed off a plan to reform copyright levies. Artist rights groups in most European countries charge copyright fees on blank discs, data storage and music and video players. Manufacturers claim the levies are "unjustified and illegitimate" now that digital copyright technologies are being introduced to protect against illegal duplications.

By Aoife White

5 minute read

March 13, 2006 | Legaltech News

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

February 09, 2006 | Legaltech News

Microsoft said Wednesday the European Commission had refused its plea to see documents that it claims are necessary to defend itself against antitrust charges. EU spokesman Jonathan Todd said an independent hearing officer had decided that correspondence between the commission and an independent monitor were "irrelevant for Microsoft's right of defense." EU regulators have threatened Microsoft with fines up to about $2 million a day over the antitrust issues.

By Aoife White

4 minute read

July 12, 2006 | Law.com

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. The $357 million fine issued on Wednesday is for allegedly flouting the earlier order, on top of the record $613 million fine paid at that time. Microsoft also faces new penalties of $3.82 million a day beginning July 31. Microsoft says it will appeal.

By Aoife White

5 minute read

July 09, 2009 | Law.com

The European Union warned Wednesday of a wave of antitrust investigations into major drug makers, saying they were deliberately stalling cheaper generic versions of their own medicines once exclusive patents expire. "Makers of original medicines are actively trying to delay the entry of generic medicines onto their markets," EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said. She said regulators knew of at least 200 settlement agreements between generic and major drug makers.

By Aoife White

4 minute read

March 03, 2006 | Law.com

Microsoft will be fined if it keeps up its current conduct, the EU's antitrust chief warned Thursday after the company accused the EU of withholding documents and colluding with Microsoft's rivals before filing charges last December. The EU has threatened $2.4 million in daily fines, backdated to Dec. 15, unless the company obeys a 2004 antitrust order to provide competitors with the information needed to make their software work with Microsoft servers.

By Aoife White

4 minute read