In February 2008, the European Commission fined Microsoft for the record-breaking amount of 899 million Euros, for not complying to the 2004 ruling from Brussels. Today, Microsoft announced it has decided to appeal the fine. "We are filing this appeal in a constructive effort to seek clarity from the court. We will not be saying anything further," the company stated.
The 2004 ruling consisted of three parts, and the 899m Euro fine dealt specifically with the third of those three parts, namely the part dealing with the licensing structure Microsoft had set up for its interoperability protocols and patents. The purpose of the fine is to allow competitors to make products that interoperate with Microsoft's products.
The European Commission said it is committed to push through with the fine. Jonathan Todd, a spokesman for the European Commission, said: "The Commission is confident that the decision to impose the fine is legally sound." If the fine indeed goes through, the EC will have fined Microsoft for a total amount of USD 2.6 billion.
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