South Korean court rejected Microsoft request to continue to implement antitrust ruling

From Reuters, the former South Korean news, Seoul local court rejected Microsoft's request to delay the implementation of antitrust ruling. The Korea Fair Trade Commission FTC in a statement on Tuesday said, Microsoft in April this year to South Korea 17 Seoul court submitted its request to delay the implementation of antitrust ruling, but the court rejected the request on Tuesday, that it is not enough.

According to South Korea's anti-monopoly agency FTC ruled that Microsoft must be stripped of its media software and instant messaging services from the windows operating system.

In December last year, South Korea's FTC ordered Microsoft Corp to bundle its software in the windows operating system, or embed its competitors in its system. At the same time, FTC also made a fine of $34 million 500 thousand for Microsoft. To this end in March this year, Microsoft submitted a formal document to the South Korean FTC, in opposition to the ruling, trying to repeal these rulings and fines. South Korea's Fair Trade Commission rejected the objection in May 23rd.

Microsoft also submitted the request to the Supreme Court of Seoul, South Korea, hoping to review the case. The Supreme Court has not yet made a ruling. Microsoft says its bundled version of the windows operating system is beneficial to consumers and the local technology industry, and does not block competition, because South Korean consumers have long been able to download and use the software.

South Korea's Fair Trade Commission, FTC, said the ruling against Microsoft was significant because it would effectively adjust the chaotic market order and restore market competitiveness. If Microsoft does not accept the ruling and the above to the Supreme Court, FTC will actively respond.

FTC's ruling is similar to the European Commission's antitrust decision against Microsoft in 2004, but the European Commission has asked Microsoft to strip the media player software and instant messaging services embedded in the Windows system.

South Korea is one of the world's top 10 Microsoft market. This time the South Korean FTC Microsoft made a fine of $34 million 500 thousand, its biggest ever against foreign companies.