The Supreme Court is suggesting it's sympathetic to Microsoft Corp. in a dispute with disgruntled owners of the Xbox 360 video-game system who sued saying the console has a design defect that scratches game discs.
The justices heard arguments Tuesday in a case that involves the Xbox 360 owners' attempts to get class action status for their lawsuit, which was filed several years ago in the state of Washington, where Microsoft is headquartered.
Xbox 360 owners were denied class action status in the lawsuit. Several justices seemed sympathetic to Microsoft's argument that the Xbox owners shouldn't be permitted to use a procedural maneuver to force an appeals court to weigh in.
Business groups say siding with the Xbox 360 owners would make defending against class action lawsuits more costly.
