Microsoft to break European rules

EU antitrust officials are analyzing complaints that software giant Microsoft broke European rules, European Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd said Tuesday.

Todd refused to say who made the complaints, what they were and if they contained new information.

"We are currently in the throes of analyzing these informal complaints and a decision as to whether or not we will open up a new case against Microsoft, any such decision will only be taken once we have completed our scrutiny of the information we have received," he told reporters.

He said the EU head office did not need to wait for complaints to take action against any company it suspected of breaking EU law, according to the AP.

The EU executive Commission is currently waiting for a court date to defend its March 2004 antitrust ruling against Microsoft.

The company is challenging a Ђ497 million (about US$620 million) fine and a ruling that it abusively wielded its Windows software domination to lock competitors out of the market.

Microsoft was also ordered to sell a version of its Windows software without Media Player and compelled it to share technology with competitors that make server software so their products can better communicate with Windows-powered computers.