Microsoft and the Department of Justice reached a proposed settlement of the case which still requires court approval. However, nine US states, which were on the side of the Department of Justice in the original action, have refused to support the settlement terms because they consider them too lenient on the software giant. They called for stiffer penalties – and Microsoft had hoped for an additional four months to answer their demands.
In the separate European antitrust action against Microsoft, two unnamed parties among those which filed complaints with the Commission about Microsoft's behaviour have requested extra time to submit written comments on the case, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. However, none of the parties to the European action has asked for a hearing. In the absence of a hearing, the expectation is that the case could reach a conclusion in the first half of this year. The deadline for requesting a hearing has now passed.