Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) has asked for the chance to defend itself early next month in front of the European Commission on charges its bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows violated European antitrust law but the company might not take up the opportunity. The company tells paidContent it only requested the hearing in order to preserve its right to one and actually hasn’t decided whether to go through with it. The company filed a written response to the charges last week.

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The European Commission was certainly not swayed by Microsoft’s arguments during a similar hearing six years ago—and the company’s chances this time around are not looking much better. In January, the European Commission said its preliminary view was that Microsoft had stifled competition in the browser market by packaging Internet Explorer and Windows. Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and Mozilla have since said that they support the European Commission’s preliminary findings. And earlier this month, a host of other tech companies, including IBM, Adobe (NSDQ: ADBE), and RealNetworks (NSDQ: RNWK), represented by the European Committee for Interoperable Systems, also joined as third parties in the case.

At stake for Microsoft: “a significant fine based on worldwide sales of Windows operating systems,” according to the company’s most recent quarterly filing. Microsoft has also said that the European Commission wants the company and computer makers to let users choose a specific browser when they buy a new PC even though many Europeans are already forgoing Internet Explorer. The Internet Institute puts Internet Explorer’s market share at 58.1 percent in Europe in January, below its market share in the United States.