Judgment Day Friday for Microsoft

In June 2001, the U.S. Court of Appeals found that Microsoft had illegally maintained a monopoly in computer operating systems and remanded the case to the lower court to figure out how the company should be penalized. In September the Justice Department said it wouldn't seek to break up the software firm and it wouldn't seek a further ruling on whether Microsoft illegally tied software to its operating system. Then, after months of haggling, Microsoft settled the case in November with the Justice Department and with half of the 18 states that had sued the company.

Earlier this year, Kollar-Kotelly heard weeks of testimony on the tougher penalties from executives at Microsoft, including Bill Gates, and from rival technology companies and economists.