Microsoft is making a final effort to avoid a fine of over $2 million per day for allegedly violating the European Union’s antitrust laws.
In the next two days, the company’s lawyers will present their arguments to EU officials in a closed session in Brussels.
The European Commission states that Microsoft has not complied with a ruling from two years ago. According to this ruling, Microsoft must provide its competitors with all necessary information so that they can easily integrate their services with Windows, Microsoft’s operating system.
Microsoft argues that the EU’s decision is vague, unenforceable, and requests that the monetary penalty not be applied.
Out of every 10 computers worldwide, 9 run on the Windows operating system. Therefore, it is crucial for users to be able to easily install other software service packages on Windows.
Last year, Microsoft began publicly sharing its technology secrets regarding its operating system.
Microsoft believes that it has fully complied with the EU’s ruling and this time, the company will present evidence from other technology firms to support its argument.
However, an expert on the EU commission recently described these documents as “completely useless.”
If Microsoft fails to convince the commission in the next two days, the company will face a fine of up to $2.4 million per day, retroactive to the end of last year.
