Microsoft Says EU Talks May Be Reopened

Microsoft Corp. General Counsel Brad Smith said a decision by a European Union appeals court to suspend antitrust sanctions against the software maker may prompt the EU’s Brussels-based regulatory arm to reopen settlement talks.

The European Commission in March ordered Microsoft to share secret programming information with competitors and offer a version of its Windows operating system without a media player after last-ditch settlement negotiations failed. The Court of First Instance in Luxembourg is weighing whether to suspend the order pending the outcome of Microsoft’s appeal.

Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft appealed June 8 and last week asked Europe’s second-highest court to defer the sanctions until its case is heard, which could take four years or more.