Microsoft Statement on Filing of Response to the European Commission’s Statement of Objections on Protocol Pricing

Microsoft confirmed that it has submitted today its response to the European Commission’s Statement of Objections (SO) of March 1, 2007 concerning the pricing of licenses for the Workgroup Server Protocol Program (WSPP).

The WSPP was created to comply with the Commission’s March 2004 decision. The decision ordered Microsoft to make its Windows Server protocol technologies available on “reasonable and non-discriminatory” terms. The current issue focuses on what Microsoft’s prices must be in order to qualify as “reasonable”.

Microsoft also confirmed that it was not requesting an oral hearing relating to the Statement of Objections. Brad Smith, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Microsoft Corporation, said: “We continue to seek to resolve these recent issues. We need greater clarity on what prices the Commission wants us to charge, and we believe that is more likely to come from a constructive conversation than from a formal hearing.”