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Microsoft

Microsoft attempts secret settlement with Feds? 33

Posted by CmdrTaco from the gotta-hate-when-that-links dept.
Mike McCune wrote in to tell us that news.com has an article that says that Three weeks ago, Microsoft had secret meetings with DOJ in attempt to settle case. Here's a WSJ story that requires a subscription, but has more details. Not much data there tho. They still expect a resolution before the end of the year.
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Microsoft attempts secret settlement with Feds? More

Microsoft attempts secret settlement with Feds?

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  • Perhaps it's unimportant whether or not Microsoft loses. Inertia is hard to defeat, and they'll be around in force a few more years at least.
  • No, it's actually worse than that. They're offering it for $8 per year!

  • Re:WSJ Article (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    If you are going to do this at least use some quoates and add some commentary (even if it isn't intellegent) and cut it up a bit so that it looks like fair use. It would have been ok to quote a bit, summerize, quote... Even without adding anything new.

    Think about what your doing and who could take the fall -- Please.
  • Check out:
    Sm@rtReseller.com [zdnet.com] for an article relating some of the recent goings on. The link about FUD was interesting as well.

  • Stop moderating this post up!!! (Score:3)

    by Fizgig ( 16368 ) on Friday June 25, 1999 @10:21AM (#1833069)
    It's illegal and can only serve to get Slashdot in trouble. The least we can do is demote it.

  • Re:Microsoft wants out. (Score:3)

    by dmorin ( 25609 ) <dmorin @ g m ail.com> on Friday June 25, 1999 @10:25AM (#1833070) Homepage Journal
    Microsoft hasn't settled yet because they walked into the trial thinking that they were better and more powerful than the government. Remember the exchange in which Jackson ordered them to remove IE from Windows, so they proceeded to produce a crippled version of Windows? Jackson said "Are you standing here telling me that you assumed I was ordering you to produce a product that doesn't work?" and the MS guy said "Yes."

    That original agreement, what was it 94 or something, demonstrated that MS completely screwed the Feds and the customers and produced a "settlement" that continued to give MS exactly what it wanted. They likely started this trial assuming they'd get to do the same thing -- there were talks of early settlements. Sounds like the government has done much, much better this time around.

    (It also helps that MS shot itself in the foot numerous times, and that Boies has done a great job destroying every witness MS has presented.)

  • ...of course, if you don't moderate Fizgig's (and my) post down, trouble may also ensue.

    --

  • I don't know about in Korea, but here in Canada prices for MS office 2000 are, to say the least, prohibitive. The version my computer science teacher got through his son, who works at Microsoft, for $80, costs about $700. The "Professional", which cost him $100, is about $1200. I don't want to think about the developer's edition.

    When Microsoft themselves can offer it for $80, you have to wonder what their margin of profit is. I'd put good money that they're still making money off the $80 and $100 versions.

  • The trial is hurting Microsoft badly. I'm actually suprised that they did not settle before. It's not a question of whether they win or lose really. It's the damage that is done to them while the trial continues. Microsoft can't really bully any vendors while the trial continues.

    Personally I would like to see the trial drag on for another year or two.

    (And now that Microsoft has its own dictionary, one wonders if the word "ask" will be in there...)
  • I suspect that not settling (ala Intel) is the biggest mistake Bill has ever made.
  • Yeah, you actually gotta PAY for a WSJ subscription, unlike NY Times, which just wants info about who is reading.
  • These aern't so secret, CNN mentioned them while they were happening.
  • Strangely enough, I tried to create it when I got the message that it wasn't recognized, and it told me that the username already exists. I wonder if they are hip?
  • MS has a real problem. They were not able to field a single supportive witness that Boies hasn't been able to more or less beat the tar out of.

    This isn't just significant for those of us who like laughing at MS's folly.

    I'm willing to bet that MS's double-speaking witnesses, contradictory witnesses, and made up evidence will be sufficient to keep them from even getting an appeal.

    That MS is going to loose is a foregone conclusion. I'm actually very supprised that Jackson didn't throw the case out midway through this fiasco.

    Just my 2 cents.
    scottwimer
  • Dunno what the WSJ article sez, but fn has a brief "secret talks" story here [cnnfn.com].

    --

  • Remember when the trial started up. Ziff Davis was saying the government was going up against the "best and brightest" and that they would have a very hard time winning a battle much less the war.
    HA!
    MS got their ass kicked at every turn! Even their allies said they were scared of them. Disney even said they bullied them! How about all the screw ups like "leaked documents" and video evidence. The best stuff came from Microsoft own e-mail.
    Dammed good entertainment

    I'll be sorry to see it go.
  • Why hammer on Red Hat with this particular red herring? The biggest area of standardization on Linux is the KERNEL, is it not?

    If there is a problem in the kernel, then potentially every distro/platform (x86 vs Sparc, for example) has that problem.

    Everything else is a packaging problem, no?

    I won't worry until Red Hat says, "If you try to replace libBlahBlahBlah with this other one, then your system will not work, because, oh, along the way, RH 'integrated' [in the Microsoft sense] for you what was in several other libraries with this library."

    But that is sort of what LSB is about, too, no? trying to prevent something like this happening?
  • Glad ya even copied the copyright! I'm sure Rob will thank ya! :(







  • >Personally I would like to see the trial drag on for another year or two.

    Don't worry about it. There are a number of other cases waiting in the wings.
  • Not a problem.
    RMS lent me _his_ copy :) :) :)
    Thank you, RMS!
  • I have a question...and I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble....but isn't that article copyrighted?

    Can Rob get in trouble for having it on his site? It's an Anon Cow, so the poster sure isn't getting in trouble.

    Just wondering....thanks for posting though...it's a good read.

  • I'm actually very supprised that Jackson didn't throw the case out midway through this fiasco.

    I would imagine he's bending over backwards to be fair. This will ensure that on an appeal there will be no grounds to nullify any decision he makes. He must not only be impartial, but make every effort to appear impartial as well. Of course IANAL, so take my opinion with a grain of salt or five.
  • I think David Boise deserves alot of credit for this... remember he only gets paid G15 goverment wages and he is tearing apart MS's best defense piece by piece.
  • MS is (maybe) making money even from $80/$100 sells but a lot of people just ask:

    and what?

    but i think, it's sad that people know their money are being stolen from them and still do nothing about it (againsts it).

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