State Department questions EU's Microsoft ruling

The U.S. State Department has quietly expressed its concerns to European regulators about last week's decision to levy harsh penalties and a $613 million fine on Microsoft.

The quiet protest from the Bush administration comes as concern is growing on Capitol Hill over the European Commission's penalties, which came after the Justice Department agreed to a consent decree that includes ongoing federal court oversight of Microsoft's business practices. "The State Department has been involved in an off-the-record attempt to focus their attention" on the harm the decision could bring about, a U.S. government official, who has direct knowledge of the concerns communicated to EU regulators, told CNET News.com on condition of anonymity. A State Department representative declined to comment.

News source: C|Net News.com