West Virginia Settles Antitrust Case

West Virginia settled its antitrust claims against Microsoft Corp., abandoning its appeal for tougher penalties against the software company. The pullout leaves just Massachusetts continuing the courtroom battle.

The holdout states had asked for tougher sanctions than those included in a settlement between Microsoft, the Justice Department and 17 other states.

Monday’s settlement concludes West Virginia’s antitrust complaints and a separate class-action lawsuit on behalf of citizens in West Virginia.

The company agreed to pay more than $300,000 in unpaid attorneys fees to the West Virginia attorney general’s office and to provide about $19.7 million in vouchers for free computer hardware and software, including products from Microsoft’s rivals.

Microsoft shares fell 2 cents to $25.37 in extended trading after the announcement. They rose 74 cents to $25.39 in regular trading on Nasdaq.