Posted on: Saturday, July 14, 2001

Microsoft antitrust case expedited

Associated Press

The Justice Department moved yesterday to speed up the Microsoft antitrust case, asking an appeals court to send it back to a lower court to decide whether the company should be broken up.

The department said it does not intend to appeal to the Supreme Court at this time. Normally, the appeals court would have waited until at least mid-August for both sides to decide their next move.

Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler would not respond directly to the Justice Department's move, but said the company also hopes to go forward quickly.

Microsoft has until July 23 to file a response.