Microsoft gets more time to fight antitrust oversight extension
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday granted Microsoft Corp. an extra week to respond to states pressing for extended oversight of the software company as part of a 2002 antitrust settlement.
While Microsoft and the states spar in court, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly herself extended parts of the consent decree _ originally set to expire Nov. 12 _ to no later than Jan. 31, 2008.
Two separate groups of states filed motions last week asking Kollar-Kotelly to monitor Microsoft for five more years, through 2012.
In one court filing, the states of New York, Maryland, Louisiana and Florida said they were concerned that the oversight may not have "enough traction to enhance long-term competition" among makers of computer operating systems.
Kollar-Kotelly gave Microsoft until Nov. 6 to oppose the motions, a week longer than the states requested.
The judge gave the U.S. government a Nov. 9 deadline to submit an amicus brief, and said the states must file additional responses by Nov. 16. She also canceled a status hearing that was slated for Nov. 6.
The antitrust settlement reached among Microsoft, the federal government and 17 states barred the software maker from certain anticompetitive behaviors and sought to keep it from using its operating system monopoly to quash competition in other types of software.
© 2006
AP DIGITAL
This story is sourced direct from an overseas news agency as an additional service to readers. Spelling follows North American usage, along with foreign currency and measurement units.
SAVE 31% on home delivery of the Herald - subscribe today
SPONSORED LINKS
