The Russian government is exploring whether Microsoft deserves closer scrutiny under its antitrust laws, specifically whether the software maker should be added to a government-maintained list of companies with high market share.
Being added to the list itself doesn't mean the company is under investigation, but rather that it must comply with laws governing firms that have a significant market share. Unlike in some regions, Russia starts keeping an eye on companies with even a relatively low share. Anything upwards of about 35 percent share could land a company on the list.
"Russian authorities have opened an inquiry into the PC operating system sector," Microsoft told ZDNet Asia's sister site CNET News.com in a statement. "We are cooperating fully with their review."
Why the company is just now being considered for the list is unclear.
Russia hasn't been a major regulator of Microsoft in the past. The company has faced scrutiny and oversight in the past in Japan (in 1998) and Korea, in addition to its well-documented battles with regulators in the United States and Europe.
Most recently, the EU has issued a preliminary finding that Microsoft's inclusion of a browser within Windows violates its antitrust laws. Microsoft has said that the EU might force the software maker to distribute other browsers and even disable some Internet Explorer code if a user opts for one of those rivals.
This article was first published as a blog post on CNET News.
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