The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service said Thursday that it had opened a case against software company Kaspersky Lab for not providing information requested by the watchdog.
Specifically, the service said the company refused to disclose its ownership structure. Kaspersky Lab and Doctor Web, which both make computer antivirus software, have established consumer prices for their products and have dictated these prices to retail stores, the service said.
The case against Kaspersky Lab originates from a complaint by RIAN-Urals, a regional software store, said Anton Kolykhalov, an IT analyst with IKS Consulting.
In August, RIAN-Urals won a tender to supply the Chelyabinsk branch of the Federal Migration Service with antivirus software, Kolykhalov said. And as RIAN-Urals was not an authorized dealer of Kaspersky Lab software, the producer refused to supply the store and accused the retailer of lying to its customer.
The Chelyabinsk branch of the Anti-Monopoly Service supported RIAN-Urals, while Kaspersky Lab accused the regional anti-monopoly service of “lobbying on behalf of the interests of a regional company that is not authorized to sell Kaspersky Lab products,” a source told CNews in a report posted on the anti-monopoly service’s web site.
In June the anti-monopoly service accused notebook sellers of importing products loaded exclusively with Windows software, saying they deprived consumers of a viable alternative.
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