29.3.05

UE vs. Microsoft

[I]n the case of Microsoft the Commission contrived a wholly new standard of compliance with antitrust regulations, requiring innovative companies to prove that the introduction of new features in their products is “indispensable” to compete in a particular market segment. If the Court of First Instance will uphold this principle, the precedent will have a significant impact on the European economy. Businesses in many markets, form car-making to aerospace, will be discouraged to introduce innovative features. This would lead to a severe competitiveness gap with goods produced abroad.