Microsoft loses South Korean antitrust dispute News
Microsoft loses South Korean antitrust dispute

[JURIST] South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) [official website] ruled Wednesday that Microsoft [corporate website] breached antitrust rules [KFTC findings, PDF] and ordered the company to pay a $32 million fine and offer multiple versions of its Windows operating system because the automatic inclusion of Microsoft programs with Windows has hurt consumers. Microsoft said the decision could force it to pull Windows out of the country, and analysts predict the decision could encourage companies to challenge Microsoft in other nations. The dispute arose when Daum Communications and RealNetworks [corporate website] lodged complaints with the regulatory board, though Microsoft has since settled [JURIST report] with the two companies. Microsoft says it will appeal the KFTC decision [press release]. Bloomberg has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

South Africa becomes first country on continent to legalize same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriages became legal in South Africa on November 30, 2006 as the country's Civil Union Act, 2006 went into effect, making South Africa the only country on the African continent to legalize same-sex marriage. Read the Civil Union Act, 2006.