Bonum Certa Men Certa

Microsoft Loses Antitrust Case in Wisconsin, to Pay Millions in Compensation

Madison, Wisconsin



Summary: Another new case is concluded, showing that Microsoft's guilt is acknowledged by courts across the United States

BACK IN AUGUST we wrote about the settlement with Wisconsin schools. It's one among many that we are seeing this year. The Associated Press has this new report (also here and here) which says:



An appeals court is ordering Microsoft Corp. to pay $5.6 million to a national law firm involved in a Wisconsin antitrust case against the software giant.


More information comes from the Wall Street Journal and Information Week:

The bonanza for attorneys opposing Microsoft in consumer antitrust litigation continues to pay dividends. A Wisconsin appeals court this week ordered the software firm to pay $5.6 million to a law firm that opposed Microsoft in consumer antitrust litigation.

The case, and similar cases, filed in states across the U.S. involved charges that Microsoft had overcharged for software purchased by consumers beginning in the 1990s.

[...]

In Wisconsin, the settlement called for Microsoft to give vouchers for cash after the purchase of various software and computer hardware products. For instance, a $23 voucher was made available for each Microsoft Office copy. The Wisconsin claims had to be filed by July 2007.


A detailed legal document can be found here. It was put online some days ago.

Candace Bettendorf, Bettendorf Transfer Inc., Dunn County, Jackson County, School District of Hudson and Wisconsin Counties Association, Plaintiffs-Respondents-Cross-Appellants, v. Microsoft Corporation, Defendant-Appellant-Cross-Respondent.


What one can learn from this is that Microsoft's violations of the law are not history.

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