Microsoft has written to staff assuring them that it is
working “day and night” to meet a European Commission antitrust
ruling and avoid millions of pounds in fines.
In a 2004 ruling, the European Commission ordered Microsoft to
provide a version of Windows without Media Player and to release
documentation for its workgroup server protocols. The company could
face a daily fine of £1.4m for failing to comply in full.
It is understood that an EU regulators committee has now voted
to back fines against the software giant but is yet to decide how
much these would be.
An internal e-mail from Horacio Gutierrez, associate counsel in
Microsoft’s corporate and legal affairs department, leaked to
industry newsletter Microsoft Watch, tells all the company’s
Europe, Middle East and Asia staff that it is making every effort
to meet the Commission’s requirements on documenting the
protocols.
“I can assure you that we are continuing to work day and night
with over 300 dedicated engineers to create documentation which is
complete and accurate to satisfy the European Commission,” it
says.
“We have moved every available employee with knowledge of this
technology to work on this project, and a great many of them have
sacrificed greatly in terms of their personal lives over the last
several months.”
Microsoft had delivered five of the seven agreed milestones and
would deliver the last by 18 July, Gutierrez says.
The software giant believes fines would be “unjustified and
unnecessary”, the e-mail says, adding that company could appeal
against any fine.