German cartel watchdog fines Microsoft €9 million

The German competition authority has fined Microsoft €9 million. The company improperly influenced the price at which a software vendor offered the Office Home & Student 2007 suite.

The Office Home & Student 2007 suite was widely advertised in Germany in autumn 2008. In addition, an unnamed nationally operating retailer would have received financial support from Microsoft, the Bundeskartellamt, the German competition authority, has said. detected. Before the start of the advertising campaign, in October, Microsoft employees and the retailer are also said to have had contact with each other at least twice about the final sale price of the software package.

The Bundeskartellamt writes that contact between supplier and retailer about retail prices is not in all cases illegal, but that Microsoft has crossed a line by actively coordinating the seller’s pricing. “We do not share the view of the market authority, but accept the fine”, thus Thomas Mickeleit, spokesperson for Microsoft Germany. According to him, Microsoft wants to avoid a protracted legal dispute.