The European Union has levied a fine of €561 million [3], or around $730 million, on Microsoft [4] as part of a continuing monopolistic abuse case involving Internet Explorer.

To deflect a previous lawsuit that alleged MS was forcing its Internet Explorer browser on users by packaging it with Windows, to the detriment of other browser companies, MS had agreed to implement a pop-up browser "ballot" menu [5] that listed alternative browser options for new Windows owners. This began in March 2010, but a February 2011 Windows 7 update erased the browser choice option, and it wasn't reinstated. MS says this was a technical error, but the E.U. disagrees and has fined the firm.

Microsoft may also be facing a billion dollar tax bill [6] from Denmark over alleged tax abuses arising during a 2002 purchase of a Danish firm.

[Image: Flickr user quinn.anya [7]]