Report: Microsoft To Be Fined $125 Million In U.S. Dollars In Europe

The software giant says it continues to negotiate with European regulators to settle the overseas antitrust case, but the $100 million Euro fine is part of a draft decision issued last week, according to Die Welt, a major daily Germany newspaper that cites unnamed sources in its Feb. 2 article.

The European Commission confirmed late last week the existence of a draft decision on the matter. However, Microsoft continues to negotiate with overseas regulators to settle the case, according to company spokesman Jim Desler.

Desler had no comment on Monday's Die Welt report about the alleged $100 million Euro fine.

Microsoft would not comment on the Die Welt report on Monday.

"The speculation about [fines] has heightened because the commission confirmed there is a draft decision floating around. We're looking at April or May, or maybe before, that they'll issue the decision, but on a separate track, we're continuing to actively engage the commission in the hopes of resolving this," said Desler.

He also noted that the commission has the power to fine a company as much as 10 percent of annual revenue -- $3 billion in Microsoft's case -- but rarely does so except in instances of price fixing, which Microsoft is not charged with.

While some in Europe speculated the fine would exceed $1 billion, one solution provider in the U.S. said if Monday's report is accurate, Microsoft can breathe easy.

"Microsoft won't care; $125 million [to the software company] is nothing," said the New York area partner who asked not to be named.

Microsoft reported its first $10 billion quarter recently and transacts roughly $100 million in revenue every day, Microsoft CFO John Connors said recently.