WASHINGTON?Nine states seeking tougher antitrust penalties against Microsoft told a judge Monday the software giant should be forced to release the blueprints for its Internet browser in order to halt its illegal market domination.

Brendan Sullivan, the lead attorney for the states that have refused to settle with Microsoft, said forcing the company to give up its blueprints for Explorer, which now dominates the Web browser market after a bitter battle with rival Netscape, would provide “fertile ground for nascent competitors.”

Microsoft reiterates that penalties would force the company to withdraw Windows from the marketplace and let competitors confiscate billions of dollars worth of Microsoft’s intellectual property.

The nine states pursuing the case against Microsoft are Iowa, Utah, Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, Kansas, Florida, Minnesota and West Virginia and the District of Columbia.