S. Korea to get new versions of Windows

updated 8:41 a.m. ET Aug. 23, 2006

SEOUL, South Korea - Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it would release new versions of Windows in South Korea this week to comply with an antitrust ruling against the U.S. software company.

Earlier this year, the Korea Fair Trade Commission fined Microsoft 32.5 billion won ($34 million) and ordered it to provide two separate versions of Windows, saying the company abused its dominant market position by tying certain software to its Windows operating system.

In compliance with the ruling, Microsoft will release two new versions of Windows on Thursday, a company official said on condition of anonymity, citing company policy. 

One of them will be stripped of Windows Media Player and Windows Messenger and the other carries links to Web pages that allow consumers to download competing versions of such software, he said.

The move comes after a Seoul court last month rejected Microsoft's request for a stay of the penalties while the company pursues a legal challenge to the antitrust ruling.

Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft is pursuing an appeal to the Fair Trade Commission's ruling in the Seoul High Court. That is unaffected by last month's decision regarding the stay request.

Microsoft is engaged in a similar case in Europe.

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