Paul Meller

Oracle Corp.'s intended takeover of rival corporate software maker PeopleSoft Inc. was scrutinized by customers, competitors and PeopleSoft itself at a closed-door hearing in Brussels on Thursday, people close to the meeting said.

The European Union (EU) has offered to support U.S. efforts to persuade China to scrap tax breaks for domestic computer chip makers, a European Commission spokesperson said Wednesday.

Hopes of a last-minute settlement of Microsoft Corp.'s antitrust case in Europe dimmed Wednesday, after a morning meeting between competition commissioner Mario Monti and Steve Ballmer, the company's chief executive, broke up early without any apparent meeting of minds, said people close to the talks.

Antitrust regulators from the 15 European Union (E.U.) countries have unanimously backed the European Commission's negative ruling against Microsoft Corp., a Commission spokeswoman said Monday

Competition regulators from the 15 European Union (E.U.) member states will gather in Brussels Monday to discuss the European Commission's negative draft ruling against Microsoft Corp.

Amid mounting pressure from competition regulators, Microsoft Corp. will scrap a clause in its licensing contracts with PC manufacturers that prevents them from enforcing any hardware patents they have that may have implications for software.

Critics and supporters of a new Europe-wide antipiracy law were disappointed by a compromise text approved Tuesday by the European Parliament.

The future of French computer company Group Bull SA will depend on a favourable assessment by the European Commission of the French state's involvement in Bull's latest effort to avert bankruptcy, a commission spokesman said Thursday.