Korea Orders Microsoft To Unbundle Windows; Add Rival IM, Media Player

Microsoft was ordered to unbundle its messaging service from its Windows software and allow other software makers to embed rival products by South Korea’s antitrust watchdog…the watchdog also fined MSFT for $32 million.

“Windows’ Media Server, Media Player and Internet Messenger services were blocking competition and leading to a monopoly in the market, as well as raising the entry barriers to PC server and operating system makers, hurting the interest of consumers,” FTC Chairman Kang Chul-kyu told a news briefing.

The ruling happened despite a $30 million settlement with the main Korean complainant Daum Communications over the antitrust suit in November, and media player programmer RealNetworks dropped its complaints for $761 million in October.

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