The US Justice Department says it's no longer interested in seeking the break-up of Microsoft.

Microsoft has appealed to the US Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that the software giant is an illegal monopoly that has harmed consumers and stifled competition.

Microsoft's lawyers are set for a second day of tough questioning in their battle to save the company from being split into two.

The judge who ordered Microsoft Corporation to be split in two has likened Bill Gates to Napoleon, condemning his 'arrogance deriving from unalloyed success'.