The Bush administration on Wednesday protested South Korea"s decision to fine Microsoft roughly $32 million and order the software company to redesign portions of its Windows operating system.
"Korea"s remedy goes beyond what is necessary or appropriate to protect consumers, as it requires the removal of products that consumers may prefer," J. Bruce McDonald, deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department"s antitrust division, said in a statement.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission ruled that Microsoft violated South Korean law by bundling its Windows Media Service with the Windows Server operating system, as well as its media player and instant-messaging program with Windows. Microsoft will have to facilitate downloads of third-party media software and stop selling in Korea a version of its server software with Windows Media Services.