WASHINGTON, March 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Microsoft Corp. is drawing on its extensive financial resources and lobbying clout to try to overturn antitrust sanctions levied against it by the European Union(EU), and the company is pushing US government officials for help, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

    Microsoft's strategy, the report said, is to build political pressure on European officials to reconsider, using as leverage the prospect that the ruling could damage US-EU trade relations, cause rifts in international antitrust enforcement and violate world intellectual property treaties.

    The company is also warning that future innovation could be threatened if it is required to decouple its software for playing digital music and video from its Windows operating system.

    Microsoft's extensive, 6 million dollars a year Washington lobbying operation kicked into high gear on Capitol Hill last Wednesday when the EU announced its ruling, the paper reported.

    Throughout that day, more than 15 senators and House members issued statements criticizing the ruling, warning of economic harmto the United States and a possible trade war with Europe, it said.

    Microsoft General Counsel Bradford L. Smith was quoted as saying that the company will discuss the EU decision with the appropriate US government officials and explore the most constructive way to raise issues involved in the ruling, includingthe World Trade Organization.

    Microsoft argues the EU is forcing it to give away its intellectual property. In addition to the unbundling requirement, the EU required Microsoft to disclose computer code to allow makers of competing server software to work with Windows on PCs and Microsoft's server systems.

    The company also argues that forcing it to create a version of Windows without a media player could damage the value of its Windows trademark, said the paper. Enditem