Microsoft has agreed to open up Windows to different Internet browsers in order to fend off European Union litigation, the European Commission announced Friday.
"Microsoft has proposed a consumer ballot screen as a solution to the pending antitrust case about the tying of Microsoft Internet Explorer Web browser with Windows," it said in a statement.
It said computer users would be able to "easily install competing Web browsers, set one of those browsers as a default, and disable Internet Explorer" from the ballot screen.
"We believe that if ultimately accepted, this proposal will fully address the European competition law issues relating to the inclusion of Internet Explorer in Windows and interoperability with our high-volume products," Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith said in a release.
"This would mark a big step forward in addressing a decade of legal issues and would be good news for European consumers and our partners in the industry."
The commission, Europe's top competition watchdog, opened a new front in its epic anti-trust battle with Microsoft in January.
It hit the company with fresh charges of unfairly squashing competition by bundling its Internet Explorer Web browser into its ubiquitous Windows personal computer operating system.
Under the plan, rival browsers including Firefox (Mozilla), Google's Chrome or Opera by Norway's Opera Software will now be placed before consumers at the point when they set up a new computer's operating preferences.
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