By Joey Gardiner, 17 December 1999 10:55
NEWS A European court has opened up Microsoft to anti-competition proceedings after it ruled that the European Commission wrongly dismissed a complaint made against the software giant by French reseller, Micro Leader Business. The ruling annulled the Commission's previous decision to throw out allegations of market abuse, and said it should have looked harder at Microsoft's business practices. French firm Micro Leader Business alleged that Microsoft abused its dominant market position by refusing to sell the reseller its software. Micro Leader had previously been buying Microsoft's French language software at a discounted rate from Canada and reselling it in France - undercutting Microsoft's official supplier. Micro Leader's initial accusations were made in 1996; the Commission dismissed the complaint in 1998. An Commission spokesman said it was disappointed the court had found against it, and that it would now re-open its investigation of Microsoft's behaviour. The Commission has powers to fine Microsoft if it finds it guilty of anti-competitive practice.
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