When the European Union slapped Microsoft with a $612 million antitrust fine last week, it went almost unnoticed in the nation's capital that the ruling represented a win for another Seattle-area software company, RealNetworks.
Microsoft's supporters in Congress, having been briefed by the company's lobbyists, roundly criticized the ruling. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., hinted the sanctions by the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, could lead to a retaliatory trade war.
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