AMSTERDAM–The European Union Commission has fined Microsoft Corp. �561 million (US$733 million) for breaking the terms of an earlier agreement to offer users a choice of internet browser.The penalty is a first for Brussels–no company has ever failed to keep its end of a bargain with EU authorities before.In 2009, Microsoft agreed to pay a �860 million fine and promised to give Windows users the option of choosing another browser rather than having Internet Explorer automatically installed.
But Microsoft failed to stick to the deal for some 15 million installations of Windows 7 in Europe from May 2011 until July 2012.The commission's top regulator, Joaquin Almunia, said at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium yesterday that negotiated settlements are vital for enforcement to be carried out quickly.But he warned that the whole point would be undermined if companies then don't abide by the terms of the settlement.
AP