Microsoft Corp (MSFT)

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SAME OLD SONG, verse one:

SOUTH KOREAN INTERNET PORTAL PLANS LEGAL ACTION AGAINST MICROSOFT

SEOUL, Oct 17, 2003 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) --Daum Communications, South Korea's largest Internet portal, today said it is preparing tofile a new legal action against Microsoft Corp. over the U.S. software giant's bundling of messenger software with its Windows XP operating system.

"We will file a new complaint against Microsoft with a Seoul court by the end of this month," said Kwon Kyung-ah, a Daum spokeswoman.

If things go Daum's way, the move will be the Internet portal's third attempt to block the sale of Windows XP, which features a bundle of digital media capabilities including Internet phone and instant messenger.

Daum is one of South Korea's biggest Internet companies with more than 26 million registered e-mail accounts. It also controls 20 per cent of the country's instant messaging market.

The spokeswoman accused Microsoft of using anti-competitive practices in releasing Windows XP, labelling the software giant as an illegal monopoly.

In October of 2001, Daum, in alliance with 17 Korean firms,s ought a court injunction against Microsoft aimed at haltingthe release of Windows XP, but a court rejected the complaint on August 6 this year.

"We are currently reviewing the legal action in a different manner," she said.

In September of 2001, Daum filed its first complaint against the sale of Windows XP with the Fair Trade Commission (FTC),Korea's state anti-trust watchdog, claiming the bundling of the messenger service with the operation system is an unfair business practice. However, no ruling has been made yet.

Microsoft has already been hit by massive criticism in SouthKorea, especially after the country was hit by a series of Internet worm attacks.

Early this year, South Korean Internet networks were jolted by a fast-spreading Slammer worm, which exploited a well-knownsecurity hole in Microsoft's Web server software.

An influential civic group, the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft, seeking compensation for financial damages.

Officials of Microsoft's Korean unit were not immediately available for comment.

(Yonhap)

(C) 2003 Asia Pulse Pte LtdNewsProvided by COMTEX, http://www.comtex.com/

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