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Kaspersky Files Antitrust Complaints Against Microsoft in Europe

Kaspersky Files Antitrust Complaints Against Microsoft in Europe

By Reuters | Updated: 6 June 2017 18:41 IST

Highlights

Kaspersky Lab has filed antitrust complaints against Microsoft
Kaspersky contends that Microsoft is abusing its market dominance
Claims Microsoft is pushing its users towards its own anti-virus software

Russian security software maker Kaspersky Lab has filed antitrust complaints against Microsoft with the European Commission and the German federal cartel office, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

Kaspersky Lab says that Microsoft is abusing its dominance in the PC operating system market, creating obstacles for independent software security vendors by distributing its own Defender anti-virus software with the ubiquitous Windows operating system.

Microsoft said in a statement on Tuesday that it had not violated any laws.

"Microsoft's primary objective is to keep customers protected," the company said in an emailed statement. "We are confident that the security features of Windows 10 comply with competition laws. And we will answer any questions regulators may have."

Kaspersky filed the complaints after the two companies failed to resolve their differences through private negotiations.

Kaspersky in November threatened to complain to the European Commission but in April said it would hold off because Microsoft had agreed to make some changes.

"These actions by Microsoft lead to a lower level of protection for users, a limitation on their right to choose, and financial losses both for users and security solutions manufacturers," Kaspersky said on Tuesday.

The European Commission confirmed it had received Kaspersky's complaint without giving further details.

© Thomson Reuters 2017

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