U.S. Wants to Extend Microsoft Oversight

Posted 13 May 2006 @ 09:06 pm EET     Print     Reprint     E-Mail     Comments

WASHINGTON (AP) - Citing Microsoft Corp. lapses under a landmark antitrust settlement, the Justice Department said Friday it wants to extend by two years its oversight of some of the company's business practices until at least November 2009.

Microsoft has already agreed to the lengthier scrutiny by the Justice Department and 17 states under a proposal that still must be approved by a U.S. judge. The company has struggled with a key provision in the 2002 antitrust settlement requiring it to disclose to its competitors sensitive details about some of its software.

Government lawyers said they were prepared to extend oversight of Microsoft's business activities through 2012 if necessary.