Microsoft antitrust ruling likely next week

The Fair Trade Commission said yesterday that it has delayed to early this month its ruling on charges of unfair trading practices by Microsoft Corp. The nation’s antitrust watchdog had been expected to reach a verdict on the case by the end of November. “The final decision will be made next Wednesday. We just need time to review some technicalities,” said a member of the commission. The commission is expected to levy fines and order the U.S.-based software giant to exclude audio-video software from its Windows operating system. Experts here said a ruling against Microsoft could have considerable repercussions for the way Microsoft does business in Korea and the rest of the world, since an unfavorable ruling could cause other national antitrust regulators to take similar actions. The case here dates back to 2001, when Korean portal Daum Communications Corp. accused Microsoft of anti-competitive practices by bundling its instant messaging software with its Windows operating system. The investigation widened in 2004 when RealNetworks Inc., a U.S. software company, filed a complaint with the Korean commission, charging that Microsoft was putting RealNetworks at a disadvantage by including a digital audio and video player in Windows. Microsoft has since reached an out-of-court financial settlement in the antitrust dispute with both Daum and RealNetworks. The commission, however, said the arrangements would not affect its ongoing examination. by Kim Won-bae