U.S., Microsoft Return to Court This Week

After honing their rhetorical barbs in massive legal pleadings, Microsoft Corp. and federal government lawyers will argue in court this week over whether the software giant illegally defends its dominance of the market for personal computer operating system software. The daylong arguments scheduled for Tuesday will give U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson an opportunity to probe the strengths and weaknesses of government charges that Microsoft squelched competition from rival software makers to preserve a monopoly in PC operating systems. The judge’s questions for lead government trial attorney David Boies and Microsoft lawyer John Warden also could provide insights into what he thinks of the evidence and how he may rule. The government and Microsoft have exchanged broadsides in pleadings submitted to the judge Sept. 10, based on testimony and documents admitted into evidence during more than 20 weeks of testimony, which ended in June. Jackson will issue findings of fact in the next several weeks.