Judge decides Microsoft is complying with settlement

By Matt Whipp

Posted on 25 Jul 2003 at 16:52

Concerns voiced by the US Department of Justice that Microsoft was dilly-dallying in its efforts to comply with the terms of the antitrust settlement have been allayed, according to District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.

At the beginning of July, the DoJ report recommended 'further steps may need to be taken... to account for Microsoft's delayed implementation quite possible' in order to avoid rendering 'the core of the decree would prove prematurely obsolete'.

However, in a court hearing yesterday, Judge Kollar-Kotelly said that despite being 'very, very concerned', Microsoft's agreement to substantially reduce the charges associated with the Microsoft Communications Protocol Program (MCPP) - the IP licensing program that gives third-parties access to Microsoft code so that they can ensure their software runs properly on Microsoft platforms - constituted satisfactory progress.

New prices and more lenient licensing terms will be announced next week. Kollar-Kotelly said she would continue to monitor Microsoft's behaviour with respect to the terms of the decree and set another court date for October.

See also:

MS pressured to quit delaying and comply with antitrust settlement