Judge to Microsoft: Cease and Desist

Antitrust decision referred to a %dquotspecial master%dquot; no fines imposed.

The federal judge charged with determining whether Microsoft unfairly leverages its Windows market share ordered the company on Thursday to stop requiring computer makers to distribute its Internet Explorer browser.

U.S. Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson sent the U.S. Justice Department%squots case to a special master to decide whether Microsoft has broken antitrust laws. In the meantime, Jackson--who heard arguments in the case last Friday--ordered Microsoft to stop requiring that Internet Explorer be included with Windows.

However, Jackson did not assess the $1-million-per-day fine sought by the federal government. He also refused to rule that Microsoft was in contempt of its 1995 consent decree with the government regarding its competitive practices.

While both sides await the ruling from the special master, Microsoft must stop requiring licensees to %dquotlicense and pre-install any Microsoft Internet browser software%dquot as a condition of licensing Windows, Jackson ruled.

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