Microsoft Faces EU Deadline

The European Union has given Microsoft Corp. until the end of the month to comply with its antitrust order or face punitive sanctions, the software producer and an EU official said Monday.

The dispute stems from what regulators consider the software maker’s recalcitrance in providing server software source code to rivals, and on EU doubts on whether the Windows without Media Player version that Microsoft was forced to produce is technically up to standard.

“We will take stock after the end of the month,” EU Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd said. The EU could fine Microsoft up to 5% of its daily global sales for each day that a decision is not applied to its satisfaction.

Microsoft acknowledged the deadline and said it continued to work with the commission toward an agreement on full compliance.

Microsoft shares rose 11 cents to $25.85 on Nasdaq.

Todd said negotiations between antitrust regulators and Microsoft were continuing, but refused to say whether any breakthrough on several outstanding issues was close.