South Korea's antitrust body said on Tuesday that it is investigating U.S. database firm Oracle Corp (NASDAQ: ORCL) over whether its practice of bundling new software offerings into maintenance services contracts is anti-competitive behavior.
A director at the Korea Fair Trade Commission told the media that Oracle also requires customers to pay for maintenance services for all Oracle software being used instead of being able to pick and choose which software the customers want maintenance services for.
"We have not decided on whether there will be any sanctions against Oracle," the official said, adding that a final ruling will likely come in June or July.
The Oracle probe comes as the South Korean regulator investigates U.S. chip maker Qualcomm Inc (NASDAQ: QCOM) over whether the company abused its dominant market position in the country. The commission has not divulged additional details on that investigation.
Oracle could not be immediately reached for comment. Oracle shares closed Monday at $43.57 U.S. , down 3.5 cents, or 0.1%, and within a 52-week trading range of $35.82 U.S. to $46.71 U.S.
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