Microsoft fined $731m in EU anti-trust penalty - Telegraph.co.uk

"Of course, such decisions require strict compliance. A failure to comply is a very serious infringement that must be sanctioned accordingly," he added. Lawyers warned the fine should be seen as a signal of the European Commission's determination to clamp down on companies which fail to keep their end of bargains struck with EU officials. Charles Whiddington, EU Competition partner at law firm Field Fisher Waterhouse, said: "The implications for companies going forward is that they must be more rigorous in complying with any agreement with the Commission, which does not take prisoners for infractions. "Companies face severe sanctions for flouting EU rules, even accidentally." Caroline Hobson, competition partner at law firm CMS, said the fine opened the door for more of the same. "This is the first time the issue has arisen," she said. "The Commission has seized the opportunity and will not let it drop." The latest lapse did not escape the notice of Microsoft's board, which cut the bonus of chief executive Steve Ballmer last year, partly because of the Windows division's failure to provide a browser choice screen as required by the European Commission, according to an annual proxy filing. Microsoft issued a statement on Wednesday to say it took "full responsibility" for the error. Under EU rules, the company could have been penalised $7.4bn (£4.9bn) or 10pc of its 2012 revenues. via Technology - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEfY349cdQSYI4DKHH3hAEEQEzcQA&url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/microsoft/9912263/Microsoft-fined-731m-in-EU-anti-trust-penalty.html

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