Judge Raises Questions on Microsoft Fine.

Publication: eWeek

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COPYRIGHT 2006 Ziff Davis Media Inc.

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters)--A judge in Microsoft's appeal against a key antitrust ruling stunned the European Commission by asking for advice on what to do should the court cut Microsoft's 497 million euro ($624 million) fine.

Shortly before the week-long hearing ended on Friday, judge John Cook dealt with the question of the two separate findings by the European Commission in its 2004 decision against Microsoft, involving very different violations of antitrust law.

"There are two distinct findings of abuse but a single fine," said Cooke, who is in charge of writing an eventual decision on the appeal for his fellow judges.

"How is the court to...

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