A federal judge said he will rule by mid-December on whether to accept or reject a proposed $1 billion settlement of consumer class-action lawsuits against Microsoft Corp. U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz, who is overseeing the lawsuits, held a preliminary hearing Tuesday on the proposal to settle claims that Microsoft abused its monopoly power and overcharged people for Windows, Office and other software. Educators, lawyers and technology experts - some supporting and some opposing the settlement - argued the settlement's merits for more than 10 hours.
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