Swiss Competition Commission Launches Preliminary Investigation Into Microsoft Licensing Fees

(RTTNews) - The Secretariat of the Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) said on Thursday that it has launched a preliminary investigation into Microsoft's (MSFT) licensing fees in Switzerland.

The move follows complaints about significant price increases, mainly affecting Microsoft 365 licenses used by private businesses, government agencies, public companies, and other government-related bodies, the Commission said in a statement The investigation will assess whether the increases could indicate an unlawful restriction of competition under the Swiss Cartel Act. "Should such indications be confirmed, this could warrant the opening of a formal investigation," COMCO added.

On Wednesday, Microsoft shares closed at $459.38, down 2.40%.