Microsoft Will Appeal EU Ruling in April

Today, the Court of First Instance (CFI) in Luxembourg said in April it would hear an appeal by Microsoft against the highly publicized European Commission (EC) antitrust ruling, Reuters reports.

The dates for the hearing have been tentatively set for April 24 – 28.

In March 2004, the EC found that Microsoft had violated European Union (EU) antitrust policies by exploiting its dominant market position to squash the competition.  The company was fined roughly $610 million and was ordered to improve its business practices.

Microsoft then appealed the ruling to CFI, the EU’s second highest court.  A final decision is not expected for at least a year.

For CIO’s last update on the EC antitrust ruling, check out Microsoft Granted Extension for Fine-Proposal Reply.

-Al Sacco