MS submits antitrust plan to EU

Antitrust authorities are sifting through Microsoft Corp8217;s final proposal to comply with a European Commission decision, which the software giant submitted near a midnight deadline, a Commission spokesman said on Wednesday.

If the proposals fall short, Microsoft will face a fine of up to 5 million daily, which could be imposed before August.

8220;Contacts continued between the European Commission and Microsoft until late last night, and the Commission will now carefully analyse what8217;s on the table,8221; Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd said.

He said the Commission will assess 8220;whether or not we consider that Microsoft has complied with the March 2004 decision.8221;