BRUSSELS, March 17 (UPI) -- Microsoft's chief executive has failed to cut a deal with the European Union's competition commissioner to avoid an anti-trust charge.
Observers expect commissioner Mario Monti to announce next Wednesday that it is fining the big U.S. software maker hundreds of millions of dollars in a dispute over its bundling of a video player in its Windows operating system, the Financial Times reported Wednesday.
Monti and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said discussions were continuing after a dramatic four-hour meeting Tuesday, but it was unclear whether the two would meet in person again.
Monti is expected to rule on March 24 that Microsoft has unfairly used its predominance over personal computer operating systems to dominate the market for computer server systems and Media Player software.
The company denies that, arguing that it is under no obligation to share more programming code with competitors and that its own Media Player program is a key part of Windows.
