(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-01-15 11:48

BEIJING -- The European Commission said Monday it has launched new probes into Microsoft Corp's competitive behavior, refreshing the anti-trust battles between the regulators in Brussels and the software giant, media reported.

Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith gestures during a news conference in Brussels September 17, 2007. Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith said on Monday an EU court ruling upholding a landmark European Commission antitrust decision against the software giant would have an "extraordinary impact". [Xinhua]

The European Union will investigate whether Microsoft is using its dominance in word processing and spreadsheets to thwart rivals. It also will review whether Microsoft illegally tied an Internet browser to its Windows operating system.

The new probes come just three months after Microsoft decided not to appeal a European court's ruling that upheld a 2004 commission decision. That decision forced Microsoft to pay hundreds of millions of euros in fines and share information related to server software with rivals needed to create compatible products.

However, Microsoft's rivals have complained that Microsoft hasn't shared interoperability information for products including its dominant Office software suite, and unfairly bundles its Internet-browsing software with the Windows operating system.

The new move is deemed as a real war as it goes to the heart of the US company's lucrative near-monopoly over personal computer operating systems, word processing, spreadsheets and office collaboration software.

Microsoft will cooperate fully with the EU and provide all necessary information, the company said in a statement.