Microsoft said yesterday that it opposed the government's request for a US appeals court to expedite the antitrust case against the company back to a lower court ahead of schedule.

The software giant first wants the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to rule on its request that the panel re-examine part of its recent ruling on the case, the company said in a court filing.

Microsoft also asked the court to send the case back to a lower court after it rules on the rehearing and, within a week after that decision is issued, the company said it would decide whether to seek review by the US Supreme Court.

The Justice Department and 18 states said in their motion that the case should be moved back to a lower court judge quickly, arguing the software giant's conduct should be reigned in as soon as possible.

Unless the appeals court grants the government's request, the case is expected to go back before a US District Court judge no earlier than mid-August, under a June 28th ruling by a federal appeals court.