Zeenext Bureau San Francisco, Aug 30: There seems to be no respite for Microsoft. In what could be termed as the first of such a case, a California judge allowed a class-action lawsuit to proceed against the global IT giant for its alleged monopolistic practices. The judge has upheld that Microsoft’s business practices were against the consumers’ interest. "Given California law, this ruling was not unexpected," Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinan said after Superior Court Judge Stuart Pollack approved the lawsuit. The lawsuit, one of a number of such cases in various state and federal courts around the United States, alleges Microsoft used its dominant market position to overcharge California consumers for a number of products, including Windows and Word programs. Microsoft has recently pleaded with a Florida judge to dismiss or consolidate the class-actions suits against it. This has triggered a raging debate in the US that can a lower court prevent an appeal in the Supreme Court. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson had found that Microsoft violated federal anti-trust laws and ordered the company be split into two. Microsoft has appealed against the ruling.