SCOTUS Rules Unanimously for Microsoft in Class-Action Fight

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled unanimously in favor of Microsoft Corp. as part of a lawsuit filed by customers who said the company’s Xbox 360 console destroyed game discs. The court found that the customers who sued Microsoft did not have a right to appeal immediately after a trial judge rejected their case as a class action. Procedure dictates that class-action status cannot be obtained until a trial judge has made a final decision. The consumers said they met the requirement because they voluntarily dropped their cases. Writing for the court, however, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the action was not allowed because the voluntary dismissal of a lawsuit is not a final decision and cannot be appealed.