Microsoft Gets an Extra Week on Sanctions Hearing

A federal judge on Friday gave Microsoft(MSFT Quote) one extra week to prepare for hearings on tougher sanctions being sought by nine dissenting states that refused to approve the software maker's antitrust settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice.

U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly agreed to postpone the sanctions hearings, originally scheduled to begin Monday, until March 18. Earlier this week, Microsoft had asked the judge for a two-week delay, citing a need for more time to respond to changes in a proposal from nonsettling states. The sanction hearings could last at least a month.

Last June 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. ...