Microsoft Confirms Inspection by Japanese Fair Trade Commission
Redmond, WA, January 13, 1998 — Microsoft Corporation confirmed today that the Japanese Fair Trade Commission (FTCJ) had conducted an inspection at the premises of its subsidiary in Tokyo to review the company’s business documents. Microsoft stated that it is cooperating fully with the FTCJ’s personnel.
“We have great respect for the important role played by the Japanese Fair Trade Commission, and we are confident that its review will show that Microsoft is in full compliance with Japanese competition rules,”
said Brad Smith, Microsoft’s Associate General Counsel, International.
Microsoft confirmed that, in addition to considering the integration of Windows 95 and Internet Explorer, which is being reviewed in the United States, a principal focus of the FTCJ’s review centers on the company’s offer of a word processor and spreadsheet package to PC manufacturers in Japan. Microsoft offered this combined package in order to match a competing package already being offered by Just System, the largest Japanese packaged business software company, which has long been the strong market leader in this product category in Japan.
“By matching the offering of Japan’s largest business software company, Microsoft has injected substantial additional competition into the Japanese software market,”
said Smith.
“We have expanded the choices available to Japanese consumers, which is a goal that Japanese competition law seeks to encourage.”
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