States seek harsher Microsoft penalties

The attorneys general from Massachusetts and West Virginia argued in a filing presented to a federal appellate court Monday that Microsoft should be forced to endure tougher sanctions for its antitrust violations than those imposed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly late last year. "The district court's remedy will not restore competition, deny Microsoft the fruits of its illegal conduct or otherwise satisfy this court's remedial objectives," the attorneys general wrote in the filing, which noted that the settlement Microsoft reached with the federal government was "profoundly flawed."

Microsoft will respond to the appeal request next month, but the company said this week that it felt the legal process was winding down. "The district court thoroughly reviewed these issues last year and issued comprehensive rulings that represent a fair resolution of this case," a Microsoft spokesperson said.

Massachusetts and West Virginia are the only two states of the 19 that originally joined the federal government's lawsuit against Microsoft not to support the company's settlement.