As Microsoft is preparing a major Windows Vista cheering session at its annual WinHEC conference next week, Symantec filed a lawsuit that could further delay the launch of Microsoft forthcoming operating system.

20 May 2006

The company alleges that Microsoft stole intellectual property from Veritas, a storage vendor that is a Symantec subsidiary, and baked that into the Vista operating system. Veritas wants a judge to force Microsoft to rip out the technology and block any Vista development in the mean time.

If there is any truth to Symantec's claims, the latter part would be the most juicy. Delaying Windows Vista any more could force the product launch into the company's next fiscal year, thereby greatly impacting the 2006 fiscal year. Consumers furthermore are likely to further delay investing in new systems, dealing a severe blow to Dell, HP, Gateway and their peers.

Tags: windows vista, microsoft, symantec, lawsuit