The Supreme People's Court began hearing an anti-monopoly dispute between two Chinese software giants on the Tuesday morning, the first of its kind since the country's anti-monopoly law took effect six years ago.

Whatever the final ruling, it will set a precedent as a landmark in the Chinese judicial field related to the Internet industry, said legal observers.

The case is part of a long-running conflict between Qihoo, developer of the 360 brand of antivirus software, and Tencent, creator of the instant messaging software QQ.