Microsoft’s Compliance Checklist

Microsoft officials said they have agreed to a number of changes requested by the European Commission relating to the design and description of its version of Windows without media player.

Redmond will adhere to several major technical alterations to its media player, including changes to “registry settings” and the removal of references in product documents and packaging that tell users certain products do not work without Media Player, Microsoft spokeswoman Stacy Drake said.

The changes stem from the European Commission’s ruling in March 2004 that Microsoft had abused its monopoly position, and ordered the company to unbundled its Windows Media Player software from Windows in European markets.

As previously reported by internetnews.com, the commission levied a record fine of $613 million last March and imposed other penalties against Microsoft. The software giant is facing possible fines of up to $5 million a
day until they fully comply with the rulings.

However, both sides had haggled over numerous issues, but as reported yesterday by internetnews.com, Microsoft said it would comply with the wishes of the EC and call the two versions of the Windows XP operating system to be sold in the EU Windows XP Home Edition N or Windows XP Professional Edition N.

Redmond originally suggested the EU version be called “XP Reduced Media Edition,” but the commission rejected that.

“We are pleased to have finally received this feedback, and now that we have it, our interest and priority are in implementing the commission’s instructions as quickly as possible,” Microsoft wrote in a statement released Tuesday.