Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A federal judge Friday delayed Microsoft’s antitrust trial by one week after the company complained about changes to the penalties sought by the nine states suing the computer software company.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said the two-week delay requested by Microsoft was "way too long," and decided the trial should start on March 18 rather than March 11.
Nine states and the District of Columbia are seeking harsh penalties against Microsoft for violating antitrust laws and hurting consumer choice. Among other measures, they want Microsoft to offer a "modular" version of its Windows operating system so that computer manufacturers and users can swap out extra Microsoft features in favor of those made by competitors.
The federal government and nine other states settled their claims with Microsoft last year. On Wednesday, Kollar-Kotelly heard Microsoft’s and the Justice Department’s reasons why she should approve the deal. She indicated she would not make her determination soon.
The original judge in the case, Thomas Penfield Jackson, ordered Microsoft to be broken up into two companies after concluding Microsoft violated antitrust laws by illegally stifling its competitors.
A federal appeals court reversed that penalty and appointed Kollar-Kotelly to determine a new penalty in one of the most significant monopoly cases in U.S. history.
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