Saturday, October 18, 2003
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Microsoft case: Music feature a violation, says antitrust status report
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Microsoft case: Music feature a violation, says antitrust status report: "Microsoft case: Music feature a violation, says antitrust status report
By Brier Dudley
Seattle Times technology reporter
The U.S. Department of Justice and state prosecutors yesterday told a judge they are 'concerned' about a music-buying feature in Microsoft's Windows XP software that may violate the company's 2001 antitrust settlement.
Also revealed in the government's filing are concerns that the settlement's centerpiece — forcing Microsoft to share technical details of Windows — may not be working as planned.
The filing is a quarterly status report to U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who is scheduled to meet with the parties in person next week.
It's a routine filing but the concerns raised by the Justice Department come at a crucial time. Microsoft is negotiating a separate antitrust case with the European Union, where it has argued that the U.S. settlement adequately restores competition to the software market.
The issue surrounding the music-buying feature relates to a settlement requirement that Microsoft enable XP users to use browsers other than Microsoft's Internet Explorer. "
If you read the rest of the article, it really makes the government look like a bunch of nit-picking idiots. It also makes me wonder if the people who looked at it had the new 'Defaults and Permissions' patch installed. Of course that may be a lot to ask of government agents.
By Brier Dudley
Seattle Times technology reporter
The U.S. Department of Justice and state prosecutors yesterday told a judge they are 'concerned' about a music-buying feature in Microsoft's Windows XP software that may violate the company's 2001 antitrust settlement.
Also revealed in the government's filing are concerns that the settlement's centerpiece — forcing Microsoft to share technical details of Windows — may not be working as planned.
The filing is a quarterly status report to U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who is scheduled to meet with the parties in person next week.
It's a routine filing but the concerns raised by the Justice Department come at a crucial time. Microsoft is negotiating a separate antitrust case with the European Union, where it has argued that the U.S. settlement adequately restores competition to the software market.
The issue surrounding the music-buying feature relates to a settlement requirement that Microsoft enable XP users to use browsers other than Microsoft's Internet Explorer. "
If you read the rest of the article, it really makes the government look like a bunch of nit-picking idiots. It also makes me wonder if the people who looked at it had the new 'Defaults and Permissions' patch installed. Of course that may be a lot to ask of government agents.
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