Germany fines Microsoft for anti-competitive pricing

BONN - Germany’s main competition agency, the Federal Cartel Office, Wednesday slapped a fine of 9 million euros ($12 million) on US software company Microsoft for imposing a retail price for its Office Home and Student 2007 software.

Microsoft said it would pay the fine to avoid a lengthy legal dispute and was reviewing its internal processes in Germany to ensure they complied with German law in future.

The Bonn-based agency said Microsoft had harmed free competition by exerting improper influence on the selling price of the software through a major chain, which was not identified in the announcement.