Andre Yoskowitz
11 Apr 2009 22:06
Microsoft has been fined over 9 million euros this week by German antitrust officials over the alleged price fixing of their massively popular Office 2007 software.
Bundeskartellamt, Germany's economic regulatory body, added that undisclosed retailers worked with the software giant to illegally set the price of Microsoft's Office Home and Student 2007 before starting a joint ad campaign.
"Not every contact between supplier and retailer regarding resale prices constitutes an illegal concerted practice," the German group added. "In the present case, this boundary has been crossed."
Microsoft said it will obviously comply with the ruling.
"We will use this case as an opportunity to review our internal commercial processes and ensure that we are in full compliance with German law," a Microsoft statement noted.