BRUSSELS (AP) — The
EU's executive body, the European Commission, has opened up an
investigation into whether Microsoft has kept the antitrust commitments
it made in 2009, and warned that penalties for non-compliance would be
"severe."
EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told
reporters Tuesday that the indications are that Microsoft, the company
that makes the Windows operating system, has failed to provide customers
with a screen from which they could choose different internet browsers
other than its own Internet Explorer.
Almunia said it appeared
that the "choice screen", promised by Microsoft following an antitrust
case in 2009, has not been provided since February 2011, meaning 28
million customers may not have seen it.
In a statement, Microsoft
conceded it had "fallen short" of its responsibility, while
acknowledging that it was required to provide the browser choice screen,
or BCS.
"Due to a technical error, we missed delivering the BCS
software to PCs that came with the service pack 1 update to Windows 7,"
the statement said.
The company said that PCs running the original
version of Windows 7, as well as Windows XP and Windows Vista, did have
the screen.
"While we have taken immediate steps to remedy this
problem, we deeply regret that this error occurred and we apologize for
it," Microsoft said.
Microsoft submitted a report to the
Commission in December saying the browser choice screen was being
provided as required. In its statement, the company said it believed at
the time that was the case.
Almunia said this would be the first time that this type of legally binding agreement has not been complied with.
"Needless
to say, we take compliance with our decision very seriously," he said.
"If the infringement is confirmed, there will be sanctions."
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.