Microsoft appeals against anti-trust decision

Microsoft will have its appeal against the EC`s anti-trust judgement heard on 24 April, the European Court of First Instance has decided, Techworld reports.

Microsoft was fined 497 million euros in March 2004 for abusing its dominant market position. To comply with the ruling, the software giant shipped a version of its OS without Windows Media Player.

The company was also ordered to detail technical information to allow competitors to make compatible products. Microsoft is still fighting that part of the decision, notably the order to publish protocols that would allow non-Microsoft servers to operate with Windows OS clients and servers.

Microsoft and the attorney general for the state of Washington Rob McKenna have filed lawsuits against Secure Computer from New York state and several unnamed individuals, Vnunet reports. The company is accused of using deceptive advertising to sell its $49.95 Spyware Cleaner software.

Users would be presented with pop-up ads, search engine ads or spam e-mails offering a free online spyware scan of their hard drives. The software would then label innocuous system files as high-risk spyware and advice consumers to buy the software to remove the pest.

The case marks the first suit in the state that is filed under a local anti-spyware law. If found guilty, McKenna and his associates could be fine up to $100 000 per violation.

The US Supreme Court has rejected a petition from Canadian vendor Research in Motion, maker of the extremely popular Blackberry product, to review a lower court decision on its long-running dispute with patent holding company NTP, Vnunet reports.

NTP is suing RIM for patent infringement and, unfortunately for RIM, the previous ruling was upheld. This means that all eyes will now be on a hearing in early February when both sides are expected to file final arguments.

This is also the time when a US district judge will decide whether to approve NTP`s request that RIM be prohibited from manufacturing or selling products and services identified in the dispute in the US. However, it is widely expected that the companies will reach some kind of agreement before that stage.