China begins anti-monopoly investigation into Microsoft, software companies:


[JURIST] China's State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) Wednesday announced an anti-monopoly investigation into Microsoft and other international software companies suspected of dominating the Chinese software market, unfairly raising prices and bundling software. Software companies will likely face increased liability for alleged anti-competitive practices beginning August 1, when a new anti-monopoly law takes effect. Officials at Microsoft China said that they did not know about the investigation. AFP has more.

In February, the European Commission (EC) fined Microsoft 899 million euros for failing to comply with a 2004 order requiring the company to share technical information with competitors. In response to the European decision and other judgments, the corporation has instituted an Antitrust Compliance Committee. In January, the European Commission began an investigation into new allegations that Microsoft has misused its market position. Last month, Microsoft announced it had filed an appeal with the European Court of First Instance, seeking to annul the fine.