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Sunday, July 18, 1999
MS cleared of anti-trust charges
SAN FRANCISCO: Computer giant Microsoft has been cleared of charges that it violated state and federal antitrust laws as alleged in a case brought by Bristol Technologies, but it still faces two other antitrust suits. Bristol, a small software company with some 70 employees, had accused Microsoft of anti-competitive behavior, claiming the firm blocked access to an essential code for its windows operating system. But an eight-member Connecticut jury did award Bristol nominal damages of one dollar after finding that Microsoft violated the state's Unfair Trade Practices Act. Bristol, which filed the suit last year, was seeking some $ 263 million. Microsoft shares closed up 5-1/16 points at 99-7/16 in New York after the verdict, which came yesterday after only six weeks of trial. Dealers said the stock was earlier supported by reports it could issue a tracking stock for its internet properties, which include among others the free e-mail service Hotmail and the travel site Expedia. Microsoft whose operatingsystem dominates the market, said it was "extremely grateful to the jury and extremely pleased" by the outcome, according to a statement by the firm's lawyer Tom Burt. Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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