|
Quick Links
Statistics
Total entries in this blog:
Total entries in this category: Published On: May 18, 2008 10:37 PM |
Microsoft becomes 1st company in 50 years fined by EU for failing to comply with an antitrust decisionThe EU Commission has imposed a further Euros 899 million fine (about AUD$1.45 billion) on Microsoft for charging licence fees for access to interoperability information required under its 2004 ruling that were too high ... According to the Commission's Press Release: Initially, Microsoft had demanded a royalty rate of 3.87% of a licensee's product revenues for a patent licence (the "patent licence") and of 2.98% for a licence giving access to the secret interoperability information (the "information licence"). In a statement of objections of 1 March 2007, the Commission set out its concerns regarding Microsoft's unreasonable pricing (IP/07/269). On 21 May 2007, Microsoft reduced its royalty rates to 0.7% for a patent licence and 0.5% for an information licence, as regards sales within the EEA, while leaving the worldwide rates unchanged. Only as from 22 October 2007 did Microsoft provide a licence giving access to the interoperability information for a flat fee of €10 000 and an optional worldwide patent licence for a reduced royalty of 0.4 % of licensees’ product revenues The original penalty imposed for the 2004 breach was Euros 280.5 million (approx AUD$451 million). Previous short notes on Microsoft surrendering here and here. Posted: Thursday - 28 February, 2008 at 09:05 AM | |