Lawsuit withdrawn after records request ended

EPHRATA — Microsoft Corp. last week dropped its lawsuit against the city of Quincy, once a public records request for the company's data center site and building plans was withdrawn.

In November, Jeffrey S. Soehren, of Soehren Design & Development LLC in Chelan, requested Microsoft's site and building plans for the project from the city via the state's Open Records Act. Soehren, of Chelan, realizing the sensitivity of the request, withdrew it, said Quincy City Attorney Allan Galbraith.

The city did not want to release documents — which may contain confidential and proprietary information or trade secrets — without first informing Microsoft, according to court records.

Once notified, the computer and Internet giant sought an injunction in Grant County Superior Court to block the city from releasing the documents.

Microsoft spokesman Lou Gellos today said the company ended their quest for an injunction.

"The city could not determine what they could share, or what they could not share," Gellos said. The solution, he said, would be a court review of the information.

"Filing the injunction was a way to help clarify what would be released, if something had had to be released," the spokesman said.

"There's no animosity with the city, we get along great," Gellos said. "They're happy with us and we're happy with them."