Computer Firms, Microsoft Avoid Suit

Microsoft Corp. and three computer manufacturers won’t have to face a claim that they conspired to maintain a monopoly, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to revive an antitrust suit against them.

The court turned down an appeal by the bankruptcy trustee for Gravity Inc., a Texas software company. A lower court dismissed Gravity’s claim that Microsoft, the world’s largest software company, conspired with Hewlett-Packard Co. unit Compaq Computer, Dell Computer Corp. and NEC Corp. unit PB Electronics to maintain its monopoly on the Windows operating systems software.