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That Microsoft a monopoly position in the media player market tries were denied to build, Friday to positivest by the softwaregiant. That stood to read in a legal document in which MS defense work offers at a complaint of competitor RealNetworks. That that Microsoft maintains benefits the own Windows Media Player to respect of other media-applications.

That would do Microsoft among many to hold through particular technical information behind. Because of this players would work as a RealOne less good in the Windows-surroundings. More awful is the accusation that Microsoft its dominance position in the OS-market abuses through Windows Media Player to bundle with the Windows-operating system.

The same accusation forms also the subject of an investigation through the European Commission. The European antitrustautoriteit examines now for years or the MS-media player the competition rule damages. The private complaint of RealNetworks in the U.S. demands a damages of more than a billion dollar.

Microsoft denies the imputations and most wisely on it that users statistics the complaint of RealNetworks contradict. As a RealOne indeed disadvantage experiences of the MS-position, how come they then at 300 million users, asks the softwaregiant self off. According to mark desk Nielsen/NetRatings becomes Windows Media Player through 34.6 per cent of the American surfers uses, must put gets while RealOne it with 20.2 per cent and Apple (QuickTime) 9.6 per cent.

Analysts think then also that RealNetworks it not easy will have the complaint hard to make. Of a real media player monopoly resembles the first view no talk.

Microsoft gets moreover the Set Program Access and Defaults-position above. That became in Service Pack 3 by Windows 2000 and Service Pack 1 by Windows XP smuggled in, and gives to 'to hide' computer manufacturers the option Windows Media Player. As they can offer to choice an own media player, keeps away Microsoft self.

Evan Hanses and Stefanie Olsen, CNet.