The European Commission"s order for Microsoft Corp. to ship a version of Windows without the Windows Media Player could stifle innovation and help Microsoft"s rivals instead of promoting fair competition, the U.S. Department of Justice"s antitrust chief said Wednesday.
Assistant Attorney General Hewitt Pate in a statement also said the record €497.2 million ($613 million) fine levied on Microsoft by the European Commission (EC) is "unfortunate." It surpasses fines the Commission has imposed on price-fixing cartels and that may send the wrong message about antitrust enforcement priorities, Pate said. The U.S. government fought its own antitrust battle with Microsoft, a case that was filed in 1998 and settled in 2002. Although the government proposed a breakup of Microsoft, it never proposed that Microsoft remove any part of Windows and for a reason, Pate said.