TIMELINE -17 years of EU, U.S. tussles with Microsoft

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A European Union court will decide next Monday on Microsoft's (MSFT.O) challenge to a 2004 landmark European Commission decision imposing fines and sanctions on the software giant over antitrust violations.

Here are some of the key events in Microsoft's 17 years of legal battles with regulators and private companies from the European Union, the United States, South Korea and Hungary:

-- June 1990: U.S. agencies open investigation into Microsoft.

-- July 15, 1994: European Commission, U.S. Justice Department settle with Microsoft on ending anti-competitive practices.

-- October 20, 1997: U.S. charges 1994 settlement was violated.

-- November 24, 1997: The Commission, the EU's top antitrust regulator, settles charges over Microsoft licensing to a developer of the Unix operating system, Santa Cruz Operation.

-- April 3, 2000: U.S. judge rules Microsoft used monopoly power to block competition, later orders Microsoft be broken up.

-- August 3, 2000: Commission sends so-called "statement of objections" after Sun Microsystems (JAVA.O) complaint on licensing.

-- June 28, 2001: U.S. Court of Appeals rules unanimously Microsoft used Windows monopoly to block competition, but halts break-up.