Microsoft hearing to appeal EU move set for April

BRUSSELS: An appeal by Microsoft Corp. against a landmark antitrust decision by the European Commission will be heard on April 24-28 at the Court of First Instance (CFI) in Luxembourg, the court said on Wednesday.

"The dates for the Microsoft hearing have provisionally been set for the 24th to the 28th of April, 2006," the European Union's second-highest court said.

The executive Commission decided in March 2004 that the U.S. software giant had violated European Union antitrust laws by exploiting its dominant position to compete unfairly against other companies.

The Commission fined the company 497 million euros ($610 million) and ordered it to change its business practices.

Microsoft appealed that decision to the European Union's second-highest court, the CFI.

The court has already decided one side-issue and is considering two others, in addition to the main case.

The four- to five-day hearing on the main appeal will be unusually long, and is a rare chance for the public to learn what is going on in the case, because all written arguments filed on all sides are secret.

The case is being heard before a special, expanded Grand Chamber of 13 judges, including the president of the court.

A final decision is not expected for more than a year, and perhaps years.