[JURIST] Microsoft [corporate website; JURIST news archive] filed an appeal with the European Court of First Instance [official website] on Tuesday, contesting the $357 million fine imposed [JURIST report] against it by the European Commission [official website] in July for violations of antitrust laws. Microsoft also appealed the 2004 European Union antitrust ruling [text, PDF; JURIST report] which resulted in the fines.

The fine was the first the EU had levied against a company for not complying with a previous order. In a July statement [text] saying it planned to appeal, Microsoft declared "we have great respect for the Commission and this process, but we do not believe any fine, let alone a fine of this magnitude, is appropriate given the lack of clarity in the Commission's original decision and our good-faith efforts over the past two years." Reuters has more.