“When we observe a situation where one producer has a share of 95 percent of the market, it’s a monopoly. It’s not just a monopoly-like situation,” she told reporters in Brussels.<\/p>\n
“You can’t say 50 percent would be right,” she said, but added that the Commission, the EU’s top competition regulator, expects from Microsoft “a significant drop in market share.”<\/p>\n
Her comments came hours after the European Court of First Instance, Europe’s second-highest court, upheld most of the European Commission’s ruling against Microsoft, including a record fine of 497 million euros (690 million dollars).<\/p>\n
The Luxembourg-based court confirmed that Microsoft had used its massive share in operating systems in personal computers to crush rivals in other linked markets.<\/p>\n
Kroes also vowed to ensure that the US software giant would respect the Commission’s decision.<\/p>\n
“The ruling confirms more than ever that Microsoft must comply with its remedy obligations. I will not tolerate continued non-compliance,” she said.<\/p>\n