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EU rejects Microsoft's appeal against billion-dollar antitrust fine, reduces it by $48 million

EU rejects Microsoft's appeal against billion-dollar antitrust fine, reduces it by $48 million

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The European Union has rejected an appeal by Microsoft, instructing the company to pay a reduced fine for an antitrust decision from 2004.

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European Union flags
European Union flags

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.