Microsoft said that an investigation by Korea's antitrust watchdog could lead to the withdrawal of Windows from the country, or to delays in introducing new versions of the operating system there.
Microsoft's (MSFT) competitive practices have been under investigation by the Korean Fair Trade Commission, which is looking into the company's inclusion into Windows of streaming media and instant messenger technology.
The software company has faced legal and regulatory antitrust actions worldwide because of its decisions to include various services in its operating system.
Earlier this month, Microsoft agreed to settle an antitrust lawsuit with RealNetworks by paying up to $761 million in cash and services.
Seattle-based RealNetworks was among the companies that had filed complaints against Microsoft in Korea.
In its quarterly report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Microsoft said the Korean commission could require the company to remove code or redesign Windows uniquely for the Korean market.
If that happened, "it might be necessary to withdraw Windows from the Korean market or delay offering new versions in Korea," the company said in the filing.
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Ms. Wormwood, Qualcomm's cheating!: Six technology firms including Ericsson, Nokia and Texas Instruments have complained to EU regulators about Qualcomm, accusing it of stifling competition in the market for chips for 3G high-speed mobile phones and abusing patent rights.
Ericsson, Nokia (NOK), Texas Instruments (TXN), Broadcom (BRCM), Panasonic Mobile Communications and NEC (NIPNY) accused Qualcomm, which sells chips and technology licences for mobile phones, of trying to exclude rival chipset makers from the market and prevent others from entering.
The firms said Qualcomm had offered preferential terms on royalties on technology patents to manufacturers which also bought their chipsets -- the hardware inside a mobile phone.
Such royalties must be paid to many firms in the tech sector which have been involved in developing 3G technology, but the complainants said Qualcomm should not link preferential terms for chipsets to royalty payments.
Qualcomm had also charged royalties for WCDMA essential patents that were "excessive and disproportionate" to the role Qualcomm had played in developing the technology, the firms said.
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Easy poll points: A Florida state senator has introduced a bill that would ban the sale or rental of violent video games to minors.
Introduced on October 25 by state Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla, a Republican from Miami, the bill is a near clone of legislation recently signed into law by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger who is portrayed in several video games based on his action film roles.
Critics cite research suggesting that violent games can increase aggressive behavior in young boys. Game makers and retailers counter that video games carry ratings similar to those found on films, and many store clerks ask for identification from young gamers to make sure they are not buying titles aimed at older audiences.
Trade groups representing the $10 billion U.S. video game industry have sued to strike down the new California law and are fighting similar battles in Michigan and Illinois.
Courts already have blocked such legislation in Washington State, the city of Indianapolis and St. Louis County in Missouri, finding that the laws violated free speech guarantees in the U.S. Constitution.
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Compiled by Keith Axline. AP and Reuters contributed to this report.
