European Commission Takes Action Against Microsoft

Just over a month ago Opera Software filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission, claiming that Microsoft was abusing its dominance by making the Internet Explorer browser an integral part of Windows. Opera's stance is that alternate browsers, including their own offering, do not get a fair shot at obtaining market share as a result of these practices. At the time Microsoft fired back, saying that consumers are free to use any browser they wish.

They may be changing their tune shortly, however, as the European Commission initiated a formal investigation into the matter this morning. "In a complaint by Opera, a competing browser vendor, Microsoft is alleged to have engaged in illegal tying of its Internet Explorer product to its dominant Windows operating system," stated the Commission's press release. Although no proof of EC Treaty infringement has been established yet, the case will be investigated as a matter of priority in an effort to determine if Microsoft has indeed abused its dominant market position. A ruling against the software giant could have major implications on its operating system going forward. Possible changes include bundling alternative browsers with Windows as well as untying IE from the popular OS.