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Technology Stocks : How high will Microsoft fly? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John F. Dowd who wrote (22497)	5/10/1999 11:47:00 PM
From: John F. Dowd	Respond to of 74651

To All: It appears that Europe doesn't feel that MSFT's contracts are monopolistic: EU clears Microsoft ISP deals =2 Microsoft revised the agreements in February 1998 to meet EU antitrust concerns that it was abusing its power in the software market to impose its Explorer browser. "Microsoft has removed all the provisions which could be contrary to European competition rules. (European Competition Commissioner) Karel Van Miert has therefore written to Microsoft raising no objection to these agreements and declaring them compatible with the common market," the Commission statement said. The Commission said, however, that its clearance only related to Microsoft's deals with European ISPs and was unrelated to Microsoft's ongoing antitrust trial in the U.S. "The Commission has not ruled on the overall behaviour of Microsoft, in particular concerning a possible abuse of dominant position," it said. The EU had asked Microsoft to re-examine its contracts so they did not contravene EU competition rules and shut out rivals' Internet browser software. The U.S. company agreed to amend the deals, saying it would no longer terminate contracts if the ISPs failed to hit minimum distribution volumes or percentages of Internet Explorer browser technology. It also agreed to allow the ISPs to promote competing browser software. Under the new agreements, Microsoft promotes the ISPs by including them in a list of available services pre-installed on new PCs using Microsoft Windows software. Microsoft's Internet Explorer software is also now licensed to ISPs who make it available to their subscribers. In return the ISPs pay Microsoft a fee for each subscriber gained via this feature. JFD