EU Eases Up On Microsoft

The EU today backed off its monitoring of Microsoft for antitrust purposes, which came as a result of a 2004 antitrust ruling that also forced Microsoft to share code with third-party software developers. Now the EU says Microsoft no longer needs a full-time monitoring agency and the European Commission can rely instead upon consultants.

That lessening-of-scrutiny may not entirely reassure Microsoft, which faced a $1.4 billion fine from the EU last year over an alleged breach of the 2004 ruling as well as requiring Microsoft to produce a Windows version without the built-in (and irremovable) Windows Media Player. This year Microsoft has faced similar allegations about potential anti-competitive practices regarding Internet Explorer.

EU softens monitoring of Microsoft [Electronista]