Microsoft Corp has asked the Federal Court handling its antitrust case to limit the Justice Department’s allegations against the company or further delay the trial, which is slated to begin September 23, two weeks after the original start date. The software giant, in a filing with the court late Wednesday, charged that the government has unfairly and unexpectedly expanded the case on the eve of the trial. It said that if the new issues raised are allowed to stand it should be given a further six months to prepare a broader defense. Microsoft asserted that the government is trying to create a kitchen sink monstrosity and likened its tactics to those used in the failed antitrust case against IBM Corp in the 1970s. But in a move that doesn’t bode well for Microsoft, Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ruled Thursday that the company must hand over documents – which the DOJ had originally requested on August 14 – to support the new allegations. The allegations include several company databases related to OEMs and operating system products, as well as documents related to meetings between the company and officials from Intel Corp and Apple Computer Inc. In his ruling, Judge Jackson said the suits against the company are broad enough to encompass such claims. The latest squabble in the landmark case centers around Monday’s DOJ filing which added several new accusations of predatory behavior against Microsoft and complained that company officials weren’t being entirely cooperative with the pre-trial investigation. The filing contained claims that the company illegally attempted to pressure Intel, Apple, Intuit Inc and RealNetworks Inc into conforming with its plans to eliminate the potential threats posed by competition in various software markets. Microsoft complained in the court papers that it was too late for plaintiffs to change the rules of the game and add a variety of other matters to the case, which will transform it beyond recognition.
