Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Delay denied in antitrust case

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON -- Microsoft Corp. today lost its bid to delay hearings on antitrust remedies sought by the nine states that rejected a proposed settlement with the Bush administration and nine other states.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly rejected a four-month delay that Microsoft sought.

This thwarted the software maker's attempt to win approval of the proposed federal-state settlement before the judge considers proposals by the non-settling states for additional restrictions on the company's business practices.

"The schedule is still workable and I am not going to delay the proceedings on the grounds cited by Microsoft at this time," the judge said.

Kollar-Kotelly rejected Microsoft's argument that a delay is needed because the dissenting states' antitrust remedy proposals have expanded the scope of the case.

The dissenting states want, among other things, to force Microsoft to give computer makers the option of installing a version of the Windows operating system without its Internet Explorer Web browser.

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