The General Court of the European Union, the second-highest court in Europe, has rejected Microsoft's appeal against an antitrust ruling over the company's licensing practices. Four years ago, Microsoft was fined €899 million ($1.44 billion) for failing to comply with an antitrust decision in 2004. The European Commission ordered Microsoft to pay the fine alongside changes to its versions of Windows involving a removal of the Windows Media Player.

In a ruling today, the General Court of the European Union cut Microsoft's fine by €39 million to €860 million ($1.1 billion). Microsoft issued a statement to Reuters saying it is "disappointed with the court's ruling," despite the slightly reduced fine.