Europeans to continue Microsoft pursuit

"Our case is quite different from a factual point of view to the case in the United States. We also have our own rules to uphold," an EU spokesperson said. "We are currently finalising our assessment of this case. I cannot predict as to when the Commission may be coming to a conclusion," she said.

The EU declined to comment on statements by Microsoft's US lawyers that the US case should form the template for a European decision.

On Friday, US District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly threw out the case against Microsoft put by nine US states that called for harsher remedies against the company, instead giving a stamp of approval to the proposed consent decree Microsoft signed with US Department of Justice in November.

Although still forced to make changes to its operations and software, Microsoft was widely seen as being the victor in the anti-trust case as it managed to avoid the more severe remedies proposed by the states.