European Commission Settles Browser Dispute with Microsoft

The agreement follows a 2007 complaint to the Commission that Microsoft was contravening competition rules by bundling Internet Explorer with its dominant Windows operating system. Following input from industry, Microsoft will, from March 2010, offer PC-users a screen within Windows allowing them to choose between a dozen browsers presented in random order.

Separately, Microsoft has made informal commitments in the form of a public undertaking to disclose information that will improve interoperability between third party products and several Microsoft products including Windows, Windows Server, Office, Exchange and Sharepoint. The enforcement of this undertaking will be possible through legally-binding warranties offered to third party developers.

The Economist has suggested that "the case has firmly established antitrust as a competitive weapon in the “platform wars” between big technology companies” and that “without extensive lobbying by rivals, the case would never gone as far as it has”.

For further information see:

European Commission press release of 16 December 2009

Microsoft Statement concerning the Decision and associated documentation on interoperability and browser choice