The consumers are suing the company for allegedly eliminating
competition from superior and cheaper rivals in all its main
software markets. The action follows the recent ruling by Judge
Thomas Penfield Jackson that Microsoft broke anti-trust laws.
The lawsuit aims to recover financial damages inflicted on
Microsoft’s customers, in addition to three times the figure, if
any, awarded in punitive damages under antitrust law. They estimate
the total damages could rise to “billions of dollars”. The claim
seeks damages for over-charging, including an argument that the
Windows operating system was over priced by $40 per copy.
In the UK, class action lawsuits are possible, but punitive
damages are not recognised, being a sum calculated to effectively
punish the company found to be at fault.
Microsoft dismissed the class action lawsuits as opportunistic
and without legal foundation.
