Microsoft Lawsuits’ Dismissal Is Upheld

A U.S. appeals court Tuesday upheld a 2001 decision by a federal judge dismissing dozens of class-action antitrust lawsuits against Microsoft Corp.

The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., agreed with the lower-court judge’s conclusion that legal precedent restricted damage claims against antitrust violators by parties who are not direct customers. The plaintiffs received their versions of Windows inside personal computers and didn’t buy them directly.