We've dug up two press releases for you, the first one covering the subject of Nintendo's fines, and the second covering Nintendo's appeal.

Of course we will bring you more on the situation as it becomes available.

Press Release 1 - Nintendo Fined

BRUSSELS, Oct 30 (Reuters) - European Union competition authorities fined Japanese video game maker Nintendo and its distributors 167.8 million euros on Wednesday for anti-competitive practices during the 1990s.

The fine on Nintendo alone was 149 million euros "to reflect its size in the market concerned", the European Commission said in a statement.

"The European Commission has imposed a total fine of 167.8 million euros on Japanese video games maker Nintendo and seven of its official distributors in Europe for colluding to prevent exports to high-priced from low-priced countries," the statement said.

In 2000, the Commission accused Nintendo, the world's number two video game maker, of collaborating with distributors to limit cross-border flow of its products in an effort to raise wholesale prices.

"Every year, millions of European families spend large amounts of money on video games. They have the right to buy the games and consoles at the lowest price the market can possibly offer," Commission spokeswoman Amelia Torres told a news briefing.

"The Commission will not tolerate ... behaviour intended to keep prices artificially high in the European single market," she added.

Torres said the fine was the fifth largest ever imposed against a cartel by the Commission and that Nintendo's 149 million euro fine was the fourth largest individual sanction.

A spokesman for Nintendo of America told Reuters last week the company had set aside funds to deal with the fine.

The Commission said it believed Nintendo and seven of its distributors participated in a "cartel-like" arrangement with the aim of partitioning the market and inflating wholesale prices for its consoles and games.

The Commission started its investigation in 1995 and Nintendo started cooperating with it in late 1997, the Commission said.

Press Release 2 - Nintendo Will Appeal

BRUSSELS, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Japanese video game maker Nintendo said on Wednesday it would appeal against a European Commission decision to slap a fine of 149 million euros on it for anti-competitive practices.

In a statement, the world's second biggest video game maker said: "In view of the size of the fine, which Nintendo finds surprising, Nintendo will lodge an appeal."

Earlier, the Commission slapped a fine totalling 167.8 million euros on Nintendo and seven of its distributors. The EU's executive body said the scale of the individual fine reflected the company's "size in the market concerned".

In its statement, Nintendo said it accepted the Commission finding that until 1998 its distribution practices had not complied with European Union competition rules, but said it had since taken measures to rectify the situation.

Source: Reuters