Microsoft will appeal the ruling. There are a number of issues we will raise on appeal, and we look forward to raising them as soon as possible. The 103-page ruling of Judge Hall went far further than simply awarding punitive damages. More important than the financial penalty, however, the judge gave no indication in the ruling that she accepted the jury's verdict and scheduled a hearing for motions on final judgement for September 15 and September 30. Some commentators believe that the degree to which Hall agreed with Bristol in her ruling could indicate that she may vacate the jury's verdict.
Legal experts warn that nothing is certain.
Facts that constitute an unfair competition claim may not necessarily constitute an anti-trust violation. The hearings for final judgement in the Bristol case could well coincide with an announcement by the Supreme Court as to whether it is prepared to hear the government case against Microsoft directly, without the input of the appellate court. This was requested by the US Department of Justice and 19 states, because of the importance of the case to the economy. A decision could be made as early as September 8. Judge Hall's remarks will also be noted by the European Commission, which is pursuing its own anti-trust case against Microsoft.