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Following Microsoft’s recent appeal against the fine levied against it by the European Union, the body investigating the firm’s alleged anti-competitive practices has thrown out the education watchdog’s request for a separate investigation, but has said that it will indirectly consider its evidence.
The body, which recently advised schools against upgrading their computer systems to Microsoft’s new operating system Vista, citing problems with interoperability and license practices by the firm, had hoped that to see its investigation included in the formal action by the EC.
No specific reason was given by the body, but it was keen to stress that it would accept evidence from the education watchdog in its broader anti-trust probe.
A spokeswoman for Becta told The Register‘s Kelly Fiveash: "The OFT concluded that the interoperability aspect should be referred to the EC, so evidence has been forwarded on, but it will not be looked at as a complaint in its own right."
