Microsoft has settled an anti-trust case with authorities in
Iowa over the software vendor's past monopolistic practices.
The suit alleged that Microsft used its strong market position to
overcharge customers for copies of Office, MS-DOS, and nearly every
version of Windows since Windows 95.
Under the terms of the settlement, users who purchased the products
between May 18, 1994 and June 30, 2006 are entitled to compensation
from Microsoft. Half of any unclaimed funds will then be given to
the state's department of education.
The Iowa suit is among the last of 19 antitrust cases brought
against Microsoft by US states in the late 90's. Many of those
states decided to abandon their cases in favor of the large federal
antitrust motion brought by the department of justice which was
settled.
The court is scheduled to make a decision on whether to approve the
terms of the settlement on April 20th.
If the settlement in Iowa is approved, Microsoft would only be left
with one remaining state antitrust case from the late-90s: a suit
filed in the state of Mississippi. A motion for dismissal in that
case is pending, the company said.
Antitrust case dates back to
1994