Microsoft Flouting DOJ Settlement?

An anonymous reader writes "According to the Washington Post, Microsoft is not adhering to the terms of its deal with the DOJ. Specifically, there are allegations that it is "trying to license key pieces of its technology at inflated rates" and "thwarting its antitrust settlement with the federal government". They're charging $100,000 just to see technical info about their communication protocols, and you only get $50,000 back if you decide you don't want to license them. Whoda thunk?"

That's ok....

[Got-Tea-Rolls]

because I don't abide by their EULAs either, so it all settles out.

ObFightClub

[Anonymous Coward]

I am Jack's utter lack of surprise.

gosh

[boogy nightmare]

oh shock horror, never saw that one coming.....

i mean really, what did you think they were going to do.

S

Okay..

[jagilbertvt]

So, we pay $100k to find out they have no communication protocols, and only get $50k back? I'll charge half that if anyone's interested in seeing my communication protocols.

Surely you jest?

[Black Parrot]

How can you suggest such a thing? There's absolutely no evidence that Microsoft isn't just as well behaved as every other American corporation, such as Enron, WorldCom, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, etc.

Yep. Microsoft is fuckin' EVIL

[RLiegh]

Next on slashdot: The sun is fuckin' HOT

What?!

[Anonymous Coward]

Thats a scandalous acussation! Microsoft are kind and gentle, and they certainly learnt their lesson after the nasty talking to the DOJ gave them after that whole "monopoly abusing" thing. Balmer and Gates are such nice men and they wear such nice suits, how could you even think of making such a slanderous comment?

No, I'm sure they're just misunderstood.

No way!

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft is being accused of doing something illegal on slashdot?

What's next? More SCO villification?

All together, with a vaguely French accent:

[burgburgburg]

The low number of licensees concerns the Justice Department, which says it is devoting extensive resources to evaluating the program.

"I'm Shocked! Shocked!"

Windows Update

[PFactor]

I bet DOJ used Windows Update. Now, none of their computers work. That would explain their lack of follow-through in this case.

Re:Okay..

[yatest5]

So, we pay $100k to find out they have no communication protocols, and only get $50k back? I'll charge half that if anyone's interested in seeing my communication protocols.

Yeah, don't wait up - not too much interest in "uh, huh-huh, you're a girl, aren't you, uh-huh-huh-huh".

Re:gosh

[EvilTwinSkippy]

Oh I'm crushed that Microsoft is not living up to the agreement.

Next you will be telling me there is no Santa Claus.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea

[bpland]

"Basically, I'd have to shoot the engineers when they came back," said one irate company executive.

So this is what happens to our best and brightest programmers.....

Thunking

[julesh]

Whoda thunk?

I would. Thunking is fun, and a wonderful way of ensuring you keep compatible. Try thunking to another operating system running in a virtual machine, that's cool :-)

Shoot the engineers?!?

[dereklam]

"Basically, I'd have to shoot the engineers when they came back," said one irate company executive.

Yeah, I'd do the same thing if I were forced to send my engineers to visit Redmond...

Re:gosh

[kin_korn_karn]

now wait until this ends up as a "my computer was crapper than yours" thread

that is a fine computer.. for me to poop on!

communication protocols?

[bilbobuggins]

why the hell would i pay $100,000 to look at freebsd code?

Appropriate purposes?

[pubjames]

From the article:

Microsoft requires companies that license the protocols to be audited -- at their own expense, by a third-party auditor selected by Microsoft -- to ensure that they are only using them for appropriate purposes.

What are "appropriate purposes" when it comes to protocols?

Auditor [pointing, exasperated] And what the hell are you using that one for?

Company rep Oh, we keep donuts in that one.

Auditor And that one?

Company rep Oh, that one is forced into the green button on the air-conditioner, otherwise it keeps switching itself off.

Auditor That one?

Company rep Oh. Erm. Sorry. We ran out of cat litter.

Auditor I am truly shocked at your inappropriate use of MS protocols! You'll be hearing from Bill Gates about this!

Re:gosh

[hendridm]

> Next you will be telling me there is no Santa Claus.

Give me about a year or so and I'll be telling you there is no Santa Cruz (Operation).

Re: Drugs are bad

[Black Parrot]

> If any of you thought for a second that Microsoft would actually abide by the settlement with the DOJ you are on crack.

Don't be so dogmatic. After my lombotomy I gave up crack for LSD, and I still thought the same thing for a second.

I'm sure a lot of geeks would pay...

[Kjella]

...particularly if the protocol provided an interface for communicating with hosts running a different OS (closed source, with totally incomprehensinle internals), and allowed for better integration than just a handshake. Particular one that would facilitate the transfer of data encoded as deoxyribose nucleic acid.

Kjella

Re:Why are so many people bitching about this?...

[pubjames]

If the enemy in a war (legal or otherwise) is not defeated on every front, it will come back to fight again in the future. This is an ingrained law in our survival instincts. It's all about obtain resources to ensure survival. It's also a component or the very seat of primate social dynamics and POLITICS. The Borg undefeated, will regroup and launch another attack in a DIFFERENT area. Has Star Trek taught us nothing?

You are so right!!! Why can't people understand that??!? It's seems like it's only you and me that get it!! I hate having to hide all the time! And the corpses under the floor and in the garden are really starting to smell!! If only people understood that I had to kill them!! Tehy were my enemies!!! They had to be defeated completely!! I'm glad you seem to understand..!

Re:yeah...

[Cpt_Kirks]

No, the invasion was to *ELIMINATE* WMD. Seems to have worked...

Re:supose...

[Anonymous Coward]

No no, it's still a supply and demand argument. Microsoft supplies the product and demands whatever they want for it.

In other news...

[jmv]

Mafia just won't stop their illegal activities.

Re:GWBush will clean up the corruption

[arth1]

There are consequences to actions. Unfortunately the American people cannot seem to draw a line between point A and point B.

The American way is to patent a device for drawing a line between A and B, and sell licenses to the highest bidder. Drawing the line is left to lesser countries, like Japan, Taiwan and Germany.

Of course, with the Microsoft Ruler, you can get the source CAD code for a mere $100,000, which allows you to verify that the lines are indeed straight. Or not.

Regards,
--
*Art

Reminds me of a scene in "Casablanca"

[k98sven]

Rick Blaine: How can you close me up? On what grounds?

Police Captain Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!

[A croupier hands Renault a pile of money]

Croupier: Your winnings, sir.

Police Captain Renault: [sotto voice] Oh, thank you very much.

Re:Why are so many people bitching about this?...

[blancolioni]

Slashdot must be the only place in the world where proof by Star Trek gets rated "Insightful."

I got some!

[siskbc]

Let's see here....I have some wood and a blanket for smoke signals. I have a mirror, that might work when it's sunny. I also have a big steel barrel I can bang Morse code on real loud. Oh, and none of them are standards compliant - the wood is wet, the blanket is moth-eaten, the mirror is broken, and I don't actually know Morse code.

I think that's all. Want your $50k back?

133 Protocols

[Bob9113]

Companies must put up $100,000 just to see the technical information about the 133 protocols, which helps a potential licensee determine if it wants or needs any of them. But if the company chooses not to license, it gets back only $50,000.

Somebody send a correction to the Washington Post. When making fun of an underskilled and overarrogant programmer or group of programmers, the correct derogatory spelling would be, "l33t protocols".

Re:Yes, he will.

[radish]

How about we just all agree that both Bush and Clinton are tossers. And for that matter, so was ol'Bush. And Reagan. Hmm...trend appearing...

Re:gosh

[EvilTwinSkippy]

I still think IBM will stomp on SCO like the roach that they are.

I don't think IBM would think that dignified. They would probably have a constractor of a subsidiary do the crushing.

Say anyone else have the idea of a Santa Cruz Missle stuck in their head?

Re:Shoot the engineers?!?

[aliens]

They'd at the very least need to undergo some sort of decontamination treatment.