Microsoft is preparing to go to court in Minnesota this week to fight allegations that it abused its Windows monopoly to overcharge customers in the state for its software. As part of its defense, Microsoft may call Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer to testify, the company says.
Unless a last minute settlement is reached between the software vendor and lawyers representing Minnesota consumers, opening arguments in the case are scheduled to begin mid-week, Microsoft spokesperson Jim Desler says. The court has allotted three months for the trial, he says.
The Minnesota case is one of four class-action lawsuits brought on behalf of consumers against Microsoft that the Redmond, Washington-based company has been unable to settle or get dismissed. Similar cases in Arizona, New Mexico, and Iowa could also be headed for trial, Desler says.