Wednesday, November 22, 2006

United States vs. Microsoft Corporation

The U.S. Department of Justice has cleared Windows Vista of antitrust concerns. As described by Joe Wilcox in "Microsoft's Antitrust Control Problem":
The joint filing explains that Microsoft and the government-mandated technical committee, or TC, "have increased their cooperation in several ways to help ensure that middleware ISVs achieve 'Vista-readiness' prior to the shipment of Windows Vista." The TC also has released a Windows XP and Windows Vista registry tool for developer download.

Aside from issues pertaining to protocol licensing, cooperation defines Microsoft's recent relationship with US trustbusters. The cooperation works for Microsoft. Of 25 complaints made since May, all "were non-substantive," according to yesterday's court filing.

While the rest of the U.S. is celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, Microsoft attorneys will be presenting the next set of legal documents to the European Union's Competition Commission, who has not been as favorable toward Microsoft as the U.S. DOJ.

By the way, in discussing other legal issues, I mentioned Microsoft would likely consult with outside counsel. In scanning the DOJ report, I spotted the names of their outside counsel. Microsoft is definitely using the best and the brightest. Both Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP and Sullivan and Cromwell LLP have excellent reputations.


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