The FT reports that the EU's measures may include the provision of a large amount of technical information to Microsoft’s competitors, a fine which could be anything up to a maximum of 10% of the company’s turnover, and a forced separation of Media Player from Windows.
Microsoft has argued in the US that it cannot produce a “modular” version of Windows. The nine US states which dissent from the Justice Department’s proposed settlement with Microsoft had argued that it could produce such a version.
The states had cited a computer-testing consultant, James Bach, who was to demonstrate such a system to the court. Dismissing Microsoft’s objections, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly gave permission for the demo to proceed. However, the states yesterday abandoned their planned demo. The reason given was that it would prolong the case unreasonably because Microsoft demanded an indefinite period of time to prepare its response. Microsoft said that, when the states named Bach, it received 10 versions of Bach’s program and 67 CDs of supporting documentation.