Microsoft brings documentation up to date for EU

Shakil published 31 Jul 2006, 16:34 in main - 180 views

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Microsoft has submitted an additional 2,600 documents to the European Commission in an attempt to fully comply with the EC's desires for better documentation of its server products. Earlier this month, the EC fined Microsoft €280.5 million for missing a December deadline and threatened it with an additional €3 million per day fine if it didn't bring its documentation up to the EC standards.

In a statement, Microsoft said that the submission "further demonstrates our ongoing commitment to reaching full compliance with the Commission's decision of March 2004" and that the company is working with the EU's trustee to "ensure that all of this documentation meets his requirements and to respond promptly and fully to any further requests for information."

The documentation for Microsoft's server products has proven to be a sore point in the antitrust case against it, which resulted in a €497 fine in March 2004. In addition to providing detailed documentation, the company is required to adopt less-restrictive licensing terms for its server products.

Microsoft responded with a couple of document submissions early on, none of which satisfied the EC. In January, the software giant offered to open up the source code, saying that the code itself was the best documentation possible. The EC had said previously that it wanted good documentation, not the source code, so it was unimpressed with the offer.

The EC is reviewing Microsoft's submission to determine whether it is up to snuff. An EC spokesperson said that it is too early to determine whether there will be any additional penalties levied on the company, including the hefty €3 million per day fine. In the meantime, Microsoft is appealilng the €280.5 million fine handed down earlier this month.