Credit: Mike Blake/Reuters Microsoft, the world’s leading producer of software, will most likely be fined on July 12 for its failure to comply with a 2004 European Commission ruling that ordered it to license to competitors proprietary information relating to how its Windows operating system communicates via networks, Bloomberg reports.The news comes from European Union Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who spoke to reporters in Berlin on Thursday, according to Bloomberg, though she didn’t specify the amount of the possible fines.“I couldn’t imagine it another way,” Kroes said, according to Bloomberg.The fines that Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft faces could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, as the European Union has said they’ll be backdated, Bloomberg reports. On July 3, representatives of the union’s member states voted in support of the commission’s plan to impose fines of as much as $2.5 million a day for Microsoft’s failure to comply with the commission’s previous order, three sources with inside knowledge of the meeting told Bloomberg. If Microsoft is fined the maximum amount per day, it will face at least $522 million in fines on July 12, the day the commission is set to make its final decision, according to Bloomberg. European Union representatives plan to meet on July 10 to decide on the most appropriate fine to levy against the software giant, the three sources told Bloomberg, and on July 12, their final decision will be announced at a press conference with Kroes.Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft’s associate general counsel, told the company’s employees last week in a e-mail, “We believe fines to be unjustified and unnecessary,” according to Bloomberg.Any additional fines imposed on Microsoft would be on top of those handed down in 2004 by former union Competition Commissioner Mario Monti, which totaled roughly $637 million, Bloomberg reports.Related Link: Microsoft Could Face E.U. Fines of $2.5M a DayThis article is posted on our Microsoft Informer page. For more news on the Redmond, Wash.-based powerhouse, keep checking in.Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content events promotion Australia's CIO50 Team of the Year Awards finalists revealed Along with the unveiling of the annual CIO50 List and the team category winners, the 2023 CIO50 Awards will also recognise the inaugural Next CIO winner and a new Hall of Fame recipient. By Cathy O'Sullivan May 31, 2023 3 mins IDG Events brandpost API security: key to interoperability or key to an organization? Understanding the risks of using APIs and how to prepare to address those risks. By Keith Zelinski, Managing Director, Technology Consulting May 31, 2023 6 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Designing the campus of the future starts with high-quality 10 Gbps connectivity By Huawei May 31, 2023 4 mins Network Architect Networking Devices Networking brandpost How an Indian real-estate juggernaut keeps growing by harnessing the power of zero A South Indian real-estate titan is known for the infinite variety and impressive scale of its projects, but one of its most towering achievements amounts to nothing literally. By Michael Kure, SAP Contributor May 31, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe