South Korea Fines Microsoft $32 million

South Korean antitrust regulators today fined Microsoft $32 million and ordered the company to offer alternative versions of Windows: one without the Windows Media Player and Windows instant messaging software, the other with links to Web pages that would allow consumers to download competing versions of the software. As reported in today’s Wall Street Journal , the Korea Fair Trade Commission ruled that Microsoft’s practices constituted an “abuse of market dominant position and unfair trade practices.”

The commission ordered Microsoft to provide the alternative versions of Windows in South Korea within 180 days.

Microsoft vice president and deputy general counsel Tom Burt said Microsoft will challenge the decision in a Korean court.

–David Rosenbaum