Judge Lets Microsoft Sell Disputed Software

A federal judge decided Thursday not to stop Microsoft Corp. from distributing video software that contains code whose authorship is disputed.

Microsoft said it had already stopped shipping software with the code, which is at the center of a copyright infringement lawsuit Apple Computer Inc. brought against San Francisco Canyon Co., Intel Corp. and Microsoft.

At a hearing, Apple asked U.S. District Judge Robert Aguilar for a preliminary injunction that forced Microsoft to stop shipping its Video for Windows program.

Apple said a version of the program containing the disputed code was available to other companies via an on-line service last week. Microsoft said it did not distribute the program that way and participated in its removal from the on-line service.