14 DAY TRIAL // In an antitrust decision in South Korea, one of the top 10 global markets for the Redmond Company, Microsoft was ordered to change the way it markets Windows operating system on the local market by extracting the media player and messaging services and selling them separately.
"Microsoft filed on April 17 an injunction seeking the suspension of the decision, but the court rejected the request on July 4, saying it was unfounded," South Korea's Fair Trade Commission said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Seoul court's rejection is reiterating South Korea's antitrust position regarding Microsoft, and the Redmond Company will be forced to unbundle its Windows package in order to give competition products a chance, or even allow for rival software to be embedded in Windows. Furthermore Microsoft will also have to pay a fine of 34.5 million dollars, or 32.5 billion won.
SEOUL, July 4 (Reuters) - A Seoul court rejected Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) request to suspend a South Korean ruling that the company must unbundle its media player and messaging service from Windows software, Seoul's antitrust agency said. A formal objection filled by Microsoft in March with the commission seeking the annulment of the decision and of the fine was rejected in May. Another Microsoft appeal filled with the Seoul High Court has yet to spawn a decision.
"This is meaningful in that the effect of aggressive correcting measures that (we have) taken for the restoration of the market order can be executed without being suspended," the Fair Trade Commission said.