Next version of Windows gets antitrust inspection

With all of the attention given to Microsoft's dealings with the European Union, it's possible to overlook the fact that the company's activities remain under the scrutiny of the US Department of Justice. A recent filing on the DoJ's United States v. Microsoft site reveals that the Technical Committee responsible for overseeing compliance with the 2002 consent decree has received an early build of Windows 7 for review.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly recently extended the duration of the sanctions imposed on the software giant, which will now run until November 2009. The extension brings the successor to Windows Vista, which has not been given a ship date by Microsoft, under the aegis of the Technical Committee. It's unlikely that Windows 7 will hit store shelves before the decree expires, so the Technical Committee is understandably anxious to get its hands on early builds.

More info at ARS Technica.