Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Latest News

      Jobs Sounds Off on Microsoft Settlement

      Written by

      Peter Galli
      Published November 28, 2001
      Share
      Facebook
      Twitter
      Linkedin

        eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

        The Senate Judiciary Committee has weighed in on the proposed antitrust case settlement between Microsoft Corp. and the federal government, and has scheduled a hearing for Dec. 12 to examine the credibility of the proposal.

        The committee will hear testimony from the Justice Department, attorneys general in favor and opposition to the settlement as well as a Microsoft executive or lawyer.

        A Microsoft spokesman did not have any immediate comment on the hearing.

        Its just one facet of a busy legal month for Microsoft. On Dec. 7, the nine states that opposed the settlement and the District of Columbia will file their proposal for a final judgment and a witness list to Washington D.C. District Judge Kathleen Kollar-Kotelly.

        In addition, Microsoft lawyers have to be back in court before Maryland District Court Judge J. Frederick Motz on Dec. 10 to present their case regarding the proposed settlement of more than 100 private antitrust cases against the Redmond, Wash. software maker.

        Earlier this week, Motz heard evidence for and against the proposed settlement of more than 100 private antitrust cases against Microsoft Corp.

        The public hearing, held at the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in Baltimore, went on well into the evening and no decision was expected immediately.

        Microsoft spokesman Jim Dessler said that the court had heard powerful testimony over the day offering evidence why the proposed settlement was appropriate.

        “The Judge has indicated he will continue to accept comments after today and will decide by mid-December whether or not to give preliminary approval for the proposed settlement,” he said.

        The proposal calls for Microsoft to donate more than $1 billion in software, reconditioned computers, services and training to thousands of schools in the United States.

        But opponents of the deal say it doesnt go far enough to compensate everyone named in the class-action suits, and they allege that it doesnt punish Microsoft at all—instead giving the software firm a leg-up into the lucrative educational market.

        Apple Computer, which claims that half of the computers in education today are its computers, filed a 30-page brief opposing the proposed agreement. “We are baffled that a settlement imposed against Microsoft for breaking the law should allow, even encourage, them to unfairly make inroads into education–one of the few markets left where they dont have monopoly power,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a prepared statement.

        He is not alone in this view. Ed Black, the president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, also filed a letter with Judge Motz in which he said the court-ordered distribution of free Microsoft software would be “tantamount to judicially sanctioned predatory pricing by a monopolist in a critical market.”

        Microsoft had come to dominate many of the most critical software markets largely through the use of illegal, anticompetitive tactics, he said, adding that it had faced some competition in the market for client operating systems – most notably from Apple in the education sector.

        “Access to this market is considered key to attracting and retaining users for future sales. By allowing Microsoft to flood the education market with free software – at virtually no cost to the company – the court will be virtually assuring that no other competitor will be able to charge for its products. The foreclosure of this market to competition and consumer choice will only facilitate the continuation of Microsofts unlawful monopolistic strategy,” Black said in his letter.

        But Microsofts Desler said he “respectfully disagreed” with the assessments by Apple and others since the proposed settlement was platform neutral and certain of its provisions expressly addressed these concerns. “The deal is structured in such a way that the schools will decide what is best for them,” he said.

        Peter Galli
        Peter Galli
        Peter Galli has been a technology reporter for 12 years at leading publications in South Africa, the UK and the US. He has comprehensively covered Microsoft and its Windows and .Net platforms, as well as the many legal challenges it has faced. He has also focused on Sun Microsystems and its Solaris operating environment, Java and Unix offerings. He covers developments in the open source community, particularly around the Linux kernel and the effects it will have on the enterprise. He has written extensively about new products for the Linux and Unix platforms, the development of open standards and critically looked at the potential Linux has to offer an alternative operating system and platform to Windows, .Net and Unix-based solutions like Solaris.

        Get the Free Newsletter!

        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

        Get the Free Newsletter!

        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

        MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

        Artificial Intelligence

        9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

        Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
        AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
        Read more
        Cloud

        RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

        Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
        RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
        Read more
        Artificial Intelligence

        8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

        Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
        Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
        Read more
        Latest News

        Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

        James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
        I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
        Read more
        Video

        Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

        James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
        I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
        Read more
        Logo

        eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

        Facebook
        Linkedin
        RSS
        Twitter
        Youtube

        Advertisers

        Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

        Advertise with Us

        Menu

        • About eWeek
        • Subscribe to our Newsletter
        • Latest News

        Our Brands

        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms
        • About
        • Contact
        • Advertise
        • Sitemap
        • California – Do Not Sell My Information

        Property of TechnologyAdvice.
        © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

        Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.