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Uncertainty after Microsoft ruling

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Legal experts in Hong Kong say Microsoft could still continue its monopolistic business practices outside of the United States, depending on the settlement the software giant reaches with the US Government.

While US District Court judge Thomas Penfield Jackson did not suggest ways of breaking Microsoft's monopoly in his ruling on the landmark antitrust case on Friday, lawyers say any changes would almost certainly address the bundling of the Windows operating system with personal computers.

Officials from the US Justice Department also said they would not rule out the possibility of breaking Microsoft up into several companies.

Bina Cunningham, a partner at law firm Denton Hall's intellectual property practice who has had experience of European antitrust law, said the ruling would have a 'very far-reaching impact involving software bundling issues and access requirements to the licences'.

'The ruling's jurisdiction is really only in the US. How this might affect Hong Kong, too, would depend on specific rulings on the bundling, licensing matters,' Ms Cunningham said.

'This, however, from experience would definitely affect Microsoft's market share and you will probably see less of a dominance,' she said.

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