U.S. officials discuss Microsoft probe

Officials from the U.S. Justice Department paid a visit to the Korea Fair Trade Commission yesterday to discuss the commission’s ongoing antitrust investigation into the U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp. “The U.S. representatives just wanted to explain to us why they found Microsoft not guilty [of the bundling of Internet Explorer with Microsoft Windows in 2001],” an official with the commission said following the one-and-a-half-hour meeting. But one commission official said that while U.S. officials had previously voiced concerns over the case, a personal visit to deliver such a message was “unprecedented.” The latest chapter in the Microsoft saga is raising anxiety among industry analysts that if the commission brings charges against the U.S. company, trade relations between Korea and the United States could suffer. The commission, however, was unbowed. “We will not be influenced by the visit of the U.S. officials,” said a spokesman for the watchdog. Microsoft recently said it might withdraw from the Korean market or delay introducing new items here in the event of an unfavorable ruling. Korea’s Ministry of Information and Communication said yesterday that it was taking note of Microsoft’s concerns, but urged the company to be more responsible with its products in Korea. The antitrust case here dates back to 2001, when Korean portal Daum Communications Corp. accused Microsoft of anti-competitive practices by bundling MSN Messenger, its instant messaging software, with its Windows operating system. Last year, RealNetworks Inc. also filed a complaint, charging that Microsoft’s inclusion of Windows Media Player, a digital audio and video service provider, placed similar software by RealNetworks at a disadvantage. The two companies reached a financial settlement in October, and RealNetworks withdrew its petition. The commission’s final decision is expected some time this month. by Kim Young-ook, Lee Hee-sung