A European fine on Microsoft will have no effect on the launch of the new Windows operating system Vista, the company said today.
The European Commission fined Microsoft €280.5 million for defying a 2004 antitrust ruling in which it ordered Microsoft to give rivals information that would enable their servers to compete on a level playing field with Microsoft's by interconnecting smoothly with Windows.
It also found that Microsoft harmed competitors by illegally bundling its Windows Media Player with the operating system, leaving consumers little incentive to buy rival software to watch movies or listen to music.
The bundling issue has raised concerns about Vista, which could package Internet search functions or software that creates fixed documents and thus threaten Google and Adobe Systems.
Any change in the timing of Vista's launch could have a substantial impact on global demand for personal computers and key PC components such as microchips.
The new penalty by the commission comes on top of a record €497 million fine it imposed in a landmark antitrust decision against Microsoft in March 2004.
