Microsoft asked a European Union judge Thursday to freeze a European Commission order forcing it to share technology with competitors, but a rival said the software giant used to provide such information freely. Microsoft Corp. is seeking the suspension of penalties imposed on it for violating antitrust law by using its Windows operating system monopoly to hurt competitors.
The world"s largest software company wants the suspension until its court challenge of a Commission decision is completed years from now. The Commission, the EU"s executive, ordered Microsoft to make available its protocols, or software rules, to rivals so that their work group servers are on a level playing field when it comes to communicating with Microsoft desktop computers. Work group servers run printers and give access to files.