"European Union regulators yesterday flexed their muscles by ordering an in-depth inquiry into plans by Microsoft and Time Warner to buy one of the world's leading providers of anti-piracy software," reports today's Guardian.
"The deal to acquire Maryland-based ContentGuard was waved through by American regulators but yesterday the European commission said it was launching a four-month investigation into the deal because it could give Microsoft a dominant market position.
"ContentGuard produces digital rights management (DRM) software, which has become big business as content owners try to combat online piracy. Its technology has been licensed by groups such as Sony."
