SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Six California counties and cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, are suing Microsoft for allegedly overcharging them.
The lawsuit seeks to recover some of the money the municipalities spent on Windows, Word and Excel programs between 1995 and 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
Joining the cities were Santa Clara, San Mateo, Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties.
Last year Microsoft agreed to pay $1.8 billion to settle similar lawsuits brought by consumers, including $1.1 billion in California. But that settlement, which Microsoft will pay in the form of vouchers redeemable for computer-related equipment, didn't include governments.
"When it became clear that governmental entities were going to be excluded from the consumer class action, it was incumbent on all of us to do whatever possible to protect our various municipalities," said Dennis Herrera, San Francisco's city lawyer.
