NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
Microsoft Corp. said Friday it will file a court appeal next week against a landmark European Union's ruling that accused the software giant of breaking European competition law.
The Redmond, Wash.-based software maker said it will file an appeal brief with the European Union's highest court to suspend the sanctions imposed on it by the commission in March
"We intend to file our appeal brief with the Court of First Instance [in Luxembourg] next week," a spokeswoman told CNN/Money.
The deadline for Microsoft's appeal is Wednesday.
In March, the EU said it is fining Microsoft (MSFT: Research, Estimates) $607.7 million (497.2 million) for antitrust violations and proposed sanctions harsher than those that Microsoft agreed to when it settled its antitrust case with the U.S. government in 2001 -- requiring it to offer a version of its Windows operating system without Windows Media Player within 90 days.
The EU decision was the most significant reprimand to Microsoft since the U.S. Justice Department proposed splitting Microsoft into two companies in 2000 after the company was ruled to have violated antitrust laws.
But the U.S. ruling was eventually overturned, and Microsoft settled its landmark antitrust case with the American government in November 2001.
In the March ruling, the EU also required Microsoft to give "complete and accurate" information to rival makers of software for computer servers, such as Sun Microsystems (SUNW: Research, Estimates).
But both companies agreed in early April to end all litigation against one another and collaborate on server software technology.
As part of the agreement, Microsoft will be paying Sun $700 million to settle antitrust issues, $900 million to settle patent litigation and $350 million in royalties. Sun said it would pay Microsoft royalties once it begins incorporating Microsoft technology into its products.
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