Two days before key hearings, Microsoft Corp. said this week it was still seeking a settlement of its antitrust case with the European Union. But the software giant struck a defiant tone in defending itself.
"Microsoft remains committed to finding a constructive resolution to the case that addresses any concerns of the (European) Commission while preserving the company"s ability to innovate and to improve its products," the company said. Microsoft faces charges it was illegally trying to extend the global dominance of its Windows operating systems into markets for servers, which tie desktop computers together, and multimedia players that let users play music and video on their computers. The company said Monday it has submitted "a robust response" to allegations it is guilty of abusing its dominant market position along with "extensive evidence to illustrate that significant consumer choice exists in the server operating systems and digital media markets today."
It added it has "in no way limited its competitors" ability to interoperate with the Windows server operating system, and that Microsoft"s actions have been pro-competitive and have resulted in products that offer great benefits to European consumers." Although Microsoft is a U.S. company, it can do business in Europe only if it abides by EU antitrust rules. Last August, the EU told Microsoft market surveys found abuses were continuing despite the settlement last year of a U.S. antitrust case. It spelled out steps it wanted Microsoft to take to address those complaints.