Microsoft has paid the fine levied on it by the EU following the antitrust suit earlier this year, despite announcing that it will be appealing the ruling.
The software giant was hit with a €497m fine after the EU ruled it was acting anticompetitively in the media-player market. Although Microsoft is working to reverse the decision, EU law stipulated that the software behemoth still had to pay the whole amount within three months.
And pay they have. However, the cash will be kept 'neutrally' in an escrow account until Microsoft's appeal has been settled, with neither Redmond nor Brussels allowed access.
While the fine -- the largest ever imposed by the EU's antitrust watchdog -- still stands, the order imposed by Europe on Microsoft to change the way it bundles its media player software has been temporarily suspended pending the result of the appeal.
Talkback
My understanding of the next generation of M$ Windows and Office is that it will include systems that will be much much more anti competitive than the the mere inclusion of Media Player which, in any case, doesn't have to be used if one so chooses.
The EU action is yesterday's battle and, notwithstanding the legal posturing, M$ will write it off and carry on regardless.
Perhaps the only way to bring M$ to heel would be a total ban the sale on their anti competitive products in the EU until the offending systems are rectified.