"U.S. May Not Block Windows 98, WSJ Says"
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Justice Department probably won't block Microsoft Corp's Windows 98 software from coming out with a version that includes Internet browsing software, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
While anti-trust enforcers continue to gather evidence for a new, wider case against Microsoft, their next legal step is likely to be narrow, according to the Journal.
Citing people close to the case, the Journal said the government may ask a U.S. District Court judge to order the company to also offer a separate Windows 98 version without Internet software.
The Judge, Thomas Penfield Jackson, issued an order in December covering Windows 95, the current version of the program.
A Justice Department spokesman said no decision has been made on the government's next step, the newspaper said.
This move wouldn't derail a separate, broader antitrust case against Microsoft, the newspaper said.
However, the probable requirement that Microsoft offer the separate version of Windows, with access to the browser hidden, would likely be fiercely resisted by the company, according to the Journal. The company says it hasn't violated antitrust law and that move would further limit its ability to innovate.
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