Microsoft: EU Deal Will Require 'Significant Change'

Today the European Union announced that it has reached a satisfactory point with Microsoft in its resolution of any possible monopolistic behavior surrounding Internet Explorer's bundling into Windows.

Microsoft's Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Brad Smith, offered comments on the decision from the European Commission.

"We are pleased with today’s decision by the European Commission, which approves a final resolution of several longstanding competition law issues in Europe," said Smith. "Today’s resolution follows years of intensive examination by the European Commission of competition in computer software. The measures approved today reflect multiple rounds of input from industry participants relating to competition in Web browser software and interoperability between various Microsoft products and competing products."

While the policy of a Choice Screen for Windows users going forward doesn't sound like too big of an effort, the European Commission reserves the right to make adjustments to the browser choice screen. Furthermore, if Microsoft breaks any of its commitments, the European Commission could impose a fine of up to 10 percent of Microsoft's total annual turnover without having to prove any violation of EU antitrust rules.

"As we’ve said before, we are embarking on a path that will require significant change within Microsoft. Nevertheless, we believe that these are important steps that resolve these competition law concerns," Smith adds. "This is an important day and a major step forward, and we look forward to building a new foundation for the future in Europe."