[JURIST] Microsoft will take the necessary steps [EU press release] to comply with a 2004 European Commission (EC) [official website] antitrust ruling [text; EU materials] against it, the EC announced Monday. The software company has agreed to allow open source software developers to access and use interoperability information, reduce the royalties for a worldwide license, and make agreements between third party developers and Microsoft enforceable before the High Court in London. EC Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes [official website] welcomed Microsoft's changes but noted that it is "regrettable that Microsoft has only complied after a considerable delay, two court decisions, and the imposition of daily penalty payments."

On September 17, the European Court of First Instance upheld [text] the European Commission's landmark ruling [JURIST report] against Microsoft's appeal [JURIST report] of the $613 million fine and order for Microsoft to share its communications code with competitors. The court agreed with the Commission that Microsoft had abused its monopoly power [JURIST report] in the computer market by trying to force consumers into buying Microsoft software, noting that selling media software with its Windows operating system damaged European competitors. Microsoft will not appeal the decision, a Microsoft spokesman told AFP Monday. AFP has more.