Microsoft said it is unaware of an investigation into whether the company unfairly dominates China's software market as reported by the country's state media on Wednesday.
"Microsoft is unaware of any investigation but is always willing to work with and cooperate with the Chinese government," said a company spokesman based in Singapore.
A working committee of China's State Intellectual Property Office is investigating whether Microsoft engaged in discriminatory pricing, according to Xinhua Financial News, citing the state-owned Shanghai Securities News. A source told Shanghai Securities News that SIPO may bring an antitrust lawsuit once the country's antimonopoly laws are enacted in August, Xinhua said.
The committee will also look at Microsoft's practice of bundling other software programs within its Windows operating system, the report said.
If accurate, China's probe follows a series of antitrust actions against Microsoft in South Korea, Europe, and the U.S.
In 2005, the Korea Fair Trade Commission fined Microsoft 33 billion Korean won ($32 million). The agency ordered Microsoft to offer two versions of its Windows XP operating system in the country, one without Windows Media Player and Windows Messenger and another with links to Web sites offering rival software. Microsoft dropped its subsequent appeal.
The European Commission fined Microsoft €497 million ($770 million) in 2004 for breaching antitrust regulations. In that case, Microsoft was ordered to sell a version of its operating system without its Windows Media Player and also detail interoperability information for its Windows workgroup servers.
The Commission started another investigation in January after receiving other complaints against Microsoft. The European Committee for Interoperable Systems, a Brussels-based trade group, lodged a complaint over the interoperability of Windows with other software. Browser maker Opera Software also filed a complaint about Microsoft's inclusion of Internet Explorer with Windows.
In the U.S., the Department of Justice is still keeping tabs on Microsoft six years after a 2002 settlement. Microsoft is still producing technical documentation that will help competitors create more compatible products.
(Dan Nysted in Taipei contributed to this report.)
This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.
Download now »
Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.
Download now »
The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.
Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation
Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.
Download now »
Sign up to receive InfoWorld Resource Alerts
1 Recommendation
