Below is my summary of last week’s Microsoft hearing at the CFI in Luxembourg. You can read the entire column here.Â
The European Court of First Instance (CFI) buzzed with energy this week as Microsoft and the European Commission squared off over a damaging 2004 ruling that, along with a fine of 497 million euros (US$613 million), creates a new Microsoft product and exposes the company’s valuable intellectual property. The circus-like hearing holds wide-ranging implications for American businesses.
On the first day, news crews and a gaggle of reporters showed up to watch the attorneys, some in horsehair wigs, discuss whether or not Microsoft abused its market power in the media-player market. Although Microsoft demonstrated that other media players exist and many consumers are using them, the EC continued to insist that Microsoft needed to be reined in.
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