Microsoft is in penalty phase; Judge's findings open the door to lawsuits

While the penalties for Microsoft's antitrust case have not been announced, class-action lawsuits are expected to pour in. The finding by Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson that Microsoft is indeed a monopoly is also expected to affect the release of Microsoft Windows 2000, scheduled in Feb 2000. One possibility is that the government will argue that the browser has been illegally tied to the operating system and seek an injunction blocking its release. Microsoft officials deny that possibility, however, and are saying that the company does not have backup plans for the product.