Judge: Microsoft Antitrust Pact Working
Fri January 23, 2004 02:14 PM ET
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By Peter Kaplan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge on Friday said she was satisfied with Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) efforts to comply with its landmark antitrust settlement after the company announced new steps, including free access to some of its Windows operating system code.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said the 2002 settlement with the government was working and she brushed aside concerns from the Justice Department that a key provision had failed to live up to expectations.
"The decree seems to be operating," Kollar-Kotelly said. "We only have concerns about one provision."
The comments came during a conference with the Justice Department and Microsoft, held to update the judge on how well the company is complying with the settlement.
In a report to Kollar-Kotelly last week, antitrust enforcers at the department complained the settlement had fallen short on a key provision designed to make sure rivals can make their server software work properly with the Windows operating system."
In response to the concerns, Microsoft gave Kollar-Kotelly a list of changes it will make to make it simpler and easier for competitors to license the necessary computer code.
Microsoft attorney Rick Rule said Microsoft would make 20 of the 113 pieces of the necessary computer code, known as protocols, available for free by download.
Rule said Microsoft also would simplify and shorten the licenses. He told the judge that Microsoft is working hard to entice other companies to take advantage of them.
"Microsoft is willing to go that extra mile to try to get additional licensees signed up," Rule said.
The judge conceded the provision at issue "has not yet yielded the hoped-for results," but she said it "may be just too early to tell."
Making the server protocols more accessible could help companies such as Sun Microsystems Inc. (SUNW.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , which are battling Microsoft in the market for software that runs servers, the powerful machines that manage computer networks.
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