Opening statements expected to begin Monday in Microsoft antitrust
Posted on: Wednesday, 10 March 2004, 06:00 CST
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Opening statements by the plaintiffs are expected Monday in a class-action lawsuit accusing Microsoft Corp. of overcharging Minnesota customers for software.
Microsoft is expected to make its opening statement Tuesday. Jury selection has been under way since last week in Hennepin County District Court.
If a settlement isn't reached, this would be the first state-level antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft to go to trial. The company settled lawsuits in nine states and Washington, D.C. for a total of $1.5 billion, including $1.1 billion in California. Cases in 16 other states were dismissed.
The only other Microsoft antitrust case that went to trial was a federal lawsuit that resulted in a 1999 ruling that the company illegally monopolized the operating system market.
Like the earlier cases, the Minnesota case involves Microsoft's Windows operating system. The case also alleges overcharges for Microsoft programs Word and Excel.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages of $283 million to $425 million for alleged overcharges on about 9.7 million Microsoft software licenses issued in Minnesota from 1994 to 2001. The case could affect nearly 1 million individuals and businesses.
Microsoft has denied overcharging.
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