AOL sues Microsoft

NEWS Netscape Communications, now part of the AOL Time Warner empire, has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft for the way its rival promoted Internet Explorer during the 'browser wars' of the late 1990s. Netscape's Communicator software suffered as Internet Explorer was bundled alongside the popular Microsoft Windows PC operating system. In a statement, AOL general counsel Randall J Boe said: "Netscape's lawsuit is a logical extension of the findings entered by the District Court and unanimously affirmed by the Court of Appeals that Microsoft thwarted competition, violated the anti-trust laws and illegally preserved its monopoly at Netscape's expense." The suit, filed in a US federal court, seeks damages "trebled in accordance with the law" and a ruling that will change the way Microsoft does business. Microsoft has complained AOL's move is merely an attempt to destabilise its settlement process with the DoJ, States' attorneys and other parties who have taken the software giant to court in recent times. We'll bring you more on this story later.