Victory For MS In First Round of W95 Wrangle

Microsoft has won the first round in a legal battle against users who claimed Windows 95 did not work as promised.

New Yorker Anthony Lefko originally brought an action against Microsoft last year, claiming it had defrauded people by releasing the operating system before it had all the features included.

But last week a Seattle judge ruled in favour of Microsoft. The superior court judge said no class action suits were allowed either by individuals or groups over difficulties with the software.

But the court case could continue for another year or two, as Lefko is understood to be contemplating an appeal against the ruling.

Microsoft was unavailable to comment on the ruling.

Meanwhile, Microsoft chairman and CEO Bill Gates has been warning software developers in India that the computer industry is slowing down, but he said the internet will offer them good opportunities in the future.

Speaking on his first visit to the sub-continent, Gates claimed that the Windows graphical user interface had helped the industry in the past few years.

?Indian software developers are among the best in the world, but for India to really develop a presence in the global IT market, the local IT industry needs better infrastructure, access to the latest technology and protection of intellectural property,? he said.