The consumers are suing the company for allegedly eliminating competition from superior and cheaper rivals in all its main software markets. The action follows the recent ruling by Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson that Microsoft broke anti-trust laws.
The lawsuit aims to recover financial damages inflicted on Microsoft’s customers, in addition to three times the figure, if any, awarded in punitive damages under antitrust law. They estimate the total damages could rise to “billions of dollars”. The claim seeks damages for over-charging, including an argument that the Windows operating system was over priced by $40 per copy.
In the UK, class action lawsuits are possible, but punitive damages are not recognised, being a sum calculated to effectively punish the company found to be at fault.
Microsoft dismissed the class action lawsuits as opportunistic and without legal foundation.