US Senator calls on courts to delay Windows XP

New York's Democratic Senator Charles Schumer has asked US federal courts to consider delaying the launch of Microsoft's next operating system Windows XP.

The news comes as software specialist, Intertrust also asked courts for an injunction against Windows XP, claiming the software violates Intertrust patents.

US newswire CNet.com claims Microsoft is taking the matter very seriously as it prepares to bring XP to market on 25 October.

The company is also waiting for 18 US state legislatures to react to the recent US Court of Appeals ruling that it used its dominant position anti-competitively.

Schumer's actions are believed to have been started by complaints from Microsoft's New York-based rivals, IBM and AOL Time Warner.

Speaking to CNet.com, a Microsoft spokesman said his company respected the opinion of Senator Schumer, but did not believe that its rivals' complaints merited intervention by the courts. He said that while AOL was guilty of self-interested lobbying, XP enabled user choice.

Microsoft is currently trying to pacify the Department of Justice after the Court of Appeals' ruling in June. Officials from both sides are expected to meet in Washington DC today to draft an out-of-court settlement.

The company held out the olive branch on Monday by releasing the source code of Windows CE to other developers.