EU Fines Microsoft $731 Million for Non Complaince With Browser

Microsoft have been fined 561 million euros, by the European Union, for breaking their promise to offer PC users, a choice of internet browsers, along with the Windows operating system.

Back in 2009 European Antitrust commission found out that, Microsoft was unfairly binding the Internet Explorer browser along with it's Windows operating system and was not presenting other browser options for the users.

The American company in order to settle the dispute, agreed to pay 860 million euros to the commission and pledged to give the Windows users an option to chose other browsers, rather then the automatically installation of the Internet Explorer.

Microsoft failed live up to the promise, as from May 2011 to July 2012, a total of 15 million Windows 7 OS installations, did not offer other browser installation options for users, in Europe.

Joaquin Almunia, the EU's competition commissioner said "Legally binding commitments reached in antitrust decisions play a very important role in our enforcement policy,"

"A failure to comply is a very serious infringement that must be sanctioned accordingly." he added.

Microsoft is the first company to be slapped such a fine, by the EU authorities, as no other company has failed to comply to the deals struck with the EU commission.

According to Joaquin the fine reflected on the size and duration of the violation. Also, the penalty imposed on Microsoft, was intended to set an example to other companies.

Meanwhile, Microsoft have taken full responsibility of the issue and have claimed that the problem was caused by a technical error. Microsoft in a statement said "We provided the commission with a complete and candid assessment of the situation, and we have taken steps to help avoid this mistake or anything similar in the future"