Microsoft has accused the US Justice Department of launching a perverse effort to deprive computer users of valuable technology and has urged a federal judge to throw out the department's antitrust complaint against it.

In court documents responding to the government's lawsuit, Microsoft argues that a 1995 antitrust settlement gives the software company unfettered freedom to decide what features will be included in its dominant Windows 95 program and other PC operating software.

That freedom, Microsoft argues, includes the right to fold into Windows 95 any features that the company chooses.

--(New York Times Service)