The European Commission has charged Microsoft with a violation of European Union antitrust rules. It says Microsoft engaged in discriminatory licensing and refused to give some of its server operating system competitors sufficient information about its Windows interfaces so the servers can work properly with Windows-based PCs.
Specifically, the issue addresses Windows 2000 and UNIX servers from Sun and other manufacturers. Under the Commission's rules, Microsoft has two months to reply in writing and also can ask for a hearing. After the hearing, the Commission would issue a final decision that could include fines against the company.
The action by the European Commission differs from the U.S. Department of Justice's suit in that it focuses on interfaces to servers, rather than the desktop operating system and other desktop applications.
With the DOJ case, the U.S. Supreme Court has not yet decided whether to hear Microsoft's appeal or send the case to the U-S. Court of Appeals in Washington for an initial review of U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson's ruling against the company.
