A federal judge in Seattle last night granted Microsoft's motion to stop the "Windows Vista Capable" lawsuit from proceeding while it asks the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review her decision giving the case class-action status: PDF, 3 pages. The stay, issued by U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman, also applies to the process of discovery, which appears to mean that it puts a hold on the plaintiffs' requests for related documents from other big tech companies and retailers.
This is the lawsuit that resulted in the disclosure of all those internal Microsoft e-mails showing executives complaining about their own experiences with Windows Vista, and making it look as if Microsoft bowed to pressure from Intel to lower the standards for the Vista Capable logo.
The case alleges that a Microsoft marketing program wrongly labeled as "Windows Vista Capable" computers that could run only Windows Vista Home Basic, which lacks heavily touted features such as Aero Glass and the Flip 3D browsing function. The suit says Home Basic isn't a real Windows Vista edition. Microsoft says Home Basic is Vista, and that it made the distinctions between the different Windows Vista editions clear.