MS antitrust case sent back to lower court

WASHINGTON: A federal appeals court sent Microsoft Corp.'s antitrust case on

Friday back to a lower court to determine what remedies should be imposed on the

software giant.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said on its Web site

that it had issued the mandate sending the case back to the District Court.

The District Court is expected to randomly assign the case to one of about a

dozen judges sometime later Friday, setting the stage for hearings as early as

next month.

The new judge is tasked with holding hearings on what remedies should be

imposed to prevent any further abuse of Microsoft's monopoly in personal

computer operating systems. He or she must also decide whether Microsoft

violated antitrust laws by tying its Internet Explorer browser into the Windows

operating system.

(C) Reuters Limited 2001.