Microsoft Corp. says it will not appeal a European Union court ruling on a 2004 antitrust decision that found the U.S. software giant was abusing its dominant market position. The E.U.'s second-highest court last month upheld the landmark antitrust decision against Microsoft made by the European Commission in 2004.

In a statement, Microsoft said, “We will not appeal the CFI's [Court of First Instance] decision to the European Court of Justice and will continue to work closely with the commission and the industry to ensure a flourishing and competitive environment for information technology in Europe and around the world.”

In 2004, the European Commission ruled Microsoft was violating European rules against monopoly behavior by withholding key compatibility information.

The content of the ruling is expected to shape the direction of the software industry and act as a marker for future cases in the sector.

Microsoft was fined 497 million euros ($703.5 million) for its anti-competitive practices and required to unbundle its Media Player software from its Windows operating system.

Microsoft Corp. says it will not appeal a European Union court ruling on a 2004 antitrust decision that found the U.S. software giant was abusing its dominant market position. The E.U.'s second-highest court last month upheld the landmark antitrust decision against Microsoft made by the European Commission in 2004.

In a statement, Microsoft said, “We will not appeal the CFI's [Court of First Instance] decision to the European Court of Justice and will continue to work closely with the commission and the industry to ensure a flourishing and competitive environment for information technology in Europe and around the world.”

In 2004, the European Commission ruled Microsoft was violating European rules against monopoly behavior by withholding key compatibility information.

The content of the ruling is expected to shape the direction of the software industry and act as a marker for future cases in the sector.

Microsoft was fined 497 million euros ($703.5 million) for its anti-competitive practices and required to unbundle its Media Player software from its Windows operating system.