But the Japan Fair Trade Commission last month closed its investigation into Microsoft, declining to pursue any charges.

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"We'd like direct marketers to force established Japanese companies to cut premiums, " says Makoto Kurita, an official with Japan's Fair Trade Commission.

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In March it agreed to a ruling by Japan's fair trade commission to settle a dispute over anticompetitive sales practices. (Intel denies any unlawful conduct.) The European Union and the Korean Fair Trade Commission are now investigating Intel on similar charges.

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The case follows a March ruling by the Fair Trade Commission of Japan, in which the Japanese regulator warned Intel against using its market dominance to pressure computer makers to accept its chips.

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