A report from the Financial Times claims that Google and Opera "informally provided the tip-off" that led to the EU fining Microsoft over $730 million yesterday. The fine was levied because Microsoft failed to include a "browser ballot" screen that let European users choose what browser to use when setting up their Windows PC. The Financial Times cites "several people familiar with the case" as confirming that Microsoft's browser-making rivals were behind the tip, and claims that both companies also helped the EU throughout the investigation.

Although uncorroborated, this revelation makes sense: both Google and Opera benefited heavily from …

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Nearly 20 years later, the decision to bundle a web browser with Windows is still giving Microsoft grief. Today, the European Union has decided to fine the company €561 million (around $732 million) for breaking a 2009 antitrust agreement. At the time, Microsoft agreed to include a browser ballot box in every new copy of Windows, allowing users to pick any one of the 12 most popular browsers rather than defaulting to Microsoft Internet Explorer. However, in what Microsoft called a "technical error", Windows 7 Service Pack 1 removed this choice. In July, the European Commission formally started investigating, and last October it decided that …

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European regulators are likely to hit Microsoft with a fine by the end of March, according to a Reuters report published today. Citing two individuals familiar with the case, Reuters says the financial punishment will come a result of antitrust violations. The specific charges are unclear, but in October of last year the European Commission accused Microsoft of failing to provide users with a choice of browsers following the release of Windows 7 Service Pack 1. At the time, Microsoft insisted that the oversight was due to a technical error, though the company took on full responsibility for the problem. European Commissioner Joaquin Almunia …

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A "technical error" that prevented 28 million PCs running Windows 7 Service Pack 1 from seeing a browser choice screen could result in charges for Microsoft, EU regulators revealed today. The European Commission says that it takes a preliminary view "that Microsoft has failed to roll out the browser choice screen with its Windows 7 Service Pack 1."

Microsoft admitted to a "technical error" earlier this year after the European Commission announced its plans to investigate how millions of PCs running Windows 7 Service Pack 1 did not display a browser choice screen. The software maker has corrected the error, but if found guilty of breaching its …

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European Union (EU) regulators are set to charge Microsoft for breaching the terms of a landmark 2009 antitrust settlement by failing to provide a clear choice of web browsers in Windows 7 Service Pack 1, according to a report from Reuters. The issue first emerged back in July, when the European Commission (EC) - the EU's executive body - formally announced its intentions to open proceedings against the company. Microsoft admitted the "technical error" the same day, emphasizing that it had taken "immediate steps" to correct the problem.

"The next step is to open a formal proceeding into the company's breach of an agreement," EU Competition …

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Microsoft admitted today that a "technical error" had prevented 28 million PCs running Windows 7 Service Pack 1 from seeing a browser choice screen. The screen, added to Windows after the company was found to have abused its dominance in the market with Internet Explorer, is designed to offer Windows users a choice of alternative web browsers. The European Commission said earlier today that Microsoft had failed to comply with its 2009 browser choice commitment and a company spokesperson has revealed that it has "taken immediate steps to remedy" the problem.

Microsoft says it is now distributing the software with the correct browser choice o …

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The European Commission revealed today that it plans to open proceedings against Microsoft to investigate whether the software giant has failed to comply with a 2009 browser choice commitment. Microsoft was forced to implement a browser ballot box in its Windows operating system to ensure users were presented with a choice of web browsers. The ruling followed the result of a European Union competition case that found Microsoft had abused its dominance in the market with Internet Explorer.

The Commission believes Microsoft may have failed to implement the browser choice screen correctly with Windows 7 Service Pack 1, released in February 201 …

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The General Court of the European Union, the second-highest court in Europe, has rejected Microsoft's appeal against an antitrust ruling over the company's licensing practices. Four years ago, Microsoft was fined €899 million ($1.44 billion) for failing to comply with an antitrust decision in 2004. The European Commission ordered Microsoft to pay the fine alongside changes to its versions of Windows involving a removal of the Windows Media Player.

In a ruling today, the General Court of the European Union cut Microsoft's fine by €39 million to €860 million ($1.1 billion). Microsoft issued a statement to Reuters saying it is "disappointed wi …

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