[Update: A few hours later-- I used the term "largely" because the court had disagreed with a few minor points made by the commission regarding its legal fees and ongoing costs to monitor compliance, but to be clear: the media are recording this as a "resounding" or "decisive" or "major" "defeat" or "rebuke." Microsoft is expected to take a hit in the markets today and, then, in overall market share in Europe.]

In a closely watched decision, a European court has largely upheld actions in 2004 by European Commission antitrust and competition enforcers against Microsoft for abusing its "dominant position" regarding both the interoperability of Windows and the bundling of Windows Media Player. I expect our European consumer colleagues at BEUC may issue a statement shortly. Here is the story in the International Herald Tribune.