MRTPC is likely to hear on January 15 the much awaited microsoft India's case on its alleged adoption of unfair and restrictive trade practices by imposing restriction on the buyers in the form of End User Licence Agreement (EULA). The case had last come up for hearing on December 4, 2000 when the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) had asked Director General of Investigation and Registration (DGIR) to submit the supplementary investigative report on the case in January. During the hearing the two member bench comprising Chairman B M Lal and member R L Sudhir had directed DGIR to submit its supplementary Preliminary Investigative Report (PIR) on the case. While noting that the PIR was not ready, the commission had granted four weeks time as sought by the DG. The commission had upbraided the DG in September 2000, for not carrying out complete investigation against microsoft and its Indian subsidiary, and had asked the latter to make an enquiry on a priority basis.
The bench had also asked the dg to probe whether the company's end user agreement was violative of MRTP act, contract act or the consequences as per the MRTP act in case it was protected by the international copyrights treaties.

Bureau Report