Airbus Flying to Microsoft's Side in European Antitrust Case
Posted on: Thursday, 16 September 2004, 06:00 CDT
Sep. 16--In a move that may help Microsoft but raise eyebrows here in Boeing country, Airbus is going to bat for Microsoft in the software company's European antitrust case.
Airbus asked the European Commission for permission to intervene on Microsoft's behalf in the antitrust case, a Microsoft spokesman confirmed yesterday.
"Airbus' intervention really underscores the broad implications of the commission's remedy," spokesman Jim Desler said. "The remedy in effect undermines European companies across a range of industries and illustrates a point we've made all along."
Boeing was contacted by Microsoft regarding the case but has not decided whether to intervene. "We have been in contact with Microsoft and we are evaluating the case," a Boeing spokesman said.
After finding that Microsoft violated European Union competition laws, the commission in March fined the company about $600 million. Microsoft was also ordered to share server product details with competitors and to sell a version of Windows in Europe without a media player bundled into the system.
Microsoft is scheduled Sept. 30 to ask a judge to delay the sanctions while its appeal is heard.
Airbus is concerned the ruling could limit the ability of a dominant company to add new features to its products, and about the way the commission defined the market in Microsoft's case, according to a source familiar with the filing.
Comment was not available from Airbus.
The story was initially reported yesterday afternoon by the Financial Times newspaper in London.
Desler said both Airbus and Boeing are Microsoft customers, and Airbus' filing should not affect Microsoft's relationship with Boeing.
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