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Technology Stocks : COMS & the Ghost of USRX w/ other STUFF -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: david decamp who wrote (7148)	10/21/1997 9:27:00 AM
From: Moonray	Respond to of 22053

Microsoft Faces EU Inquiry on Internet Contracts Brussels, Oct. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The European Commission is investigating several Microsoft Corp. contracts with Internet service providers for possible breaches of fair trading rules, a commission official said. The official, who asked not to be named, said the European inquiry is moving in parallel with a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit announced yesterday, which carries the threat of fines of $1 million a day for the U.S. software maker. The disclosure of the Internet probe in Europe comes a week after the commission, the executive agency of the 15- nation European Union, said Microsoft had already come under scrutiny for a half-dozen possible unfair business practices alleged by European companies. The investigation of Microsoft's links to Internet providers was initiated without prompting by European businesses, the commission official said. He declined to disclose the number of contracts or countries involved. The U.S. Justice Department yesterday charged that Microsoft is violating a 1995 court order by forcing computer makers to feature its Internet Explorer software if they want to get Microsoft's dominant Windows 95 operating system. The suit, filed in a Washington D.C. federal court, is seeking fines of $1 million a day unless Microsoft changes its marketing tactics. The commission does not have the power to impose fines of its own. It can, however, go to court to seek injunctions against Microsoft in Europe. Microsoft shares rose 1/4 to 132 1/2 yesterday after falling as low as 127 1/2 on news of the U.S. government's suit. Microsoft has been under antitrust investigation by different government agencies almost continuously for the past seven years. The Justice Department took over the investigation about four years ago after the Federal Trade Commission deadlocked on a vote about whether to bring charges. o~~~ O