Seoul Central District Court said on Tuesday that software developer Digito.com is suing Microsoft of the U.S. as well as Microsoft Korea, claiming the loss of some W30 billion incurred when the U.S. firm included an instant messaging program and media player in its Windows operating system.

Digito.com was a leader in Korea's instant messaging sector, having created Soft Messenger, Korea's first instant messenger in 1998.

The company claims that Microsoft has violated the Fair Trade Act since 2000 by bundling its MSN Messenger program with its operating system, which has greatly diminished sales opportunities for Digito.com.

"If Microsoft hadn't bundled its instant messaging program with its operating system we could have reaped significant profits," said an official from Digito.com. Microsoft said it would address the issue once it receives a formal petition.

Microsoft last year appealed a decision by Korea's Fair Trade Commission to fine the U.S. software giant W32.4 billion for bundling the instant messaging program with Windows, but later dropped the appeal.

(englishnews@chosun.com )