Microsoft asserts EU order is unlawful

Seattle PI | at | by Mike

Microsoft will tell a European Union appeals court that an EU antitrust order violates international law by forcing the company to share information with rivals, court documents show.

Microsoft is seeking to overturn a 2004 ruling and cancel a $601 million fine during a five-day hearing starting April 24 at the European Court of First Instance in Luxembourg. The company was ordered to license so-called network protocols, which would let competitors make products that can share files and printers with the Windows operating system.