Microsoft, Feds reach a deal
C|Net | at | by Mike
Microsoft and the Justice Department on Friday settled their acrimonious antitrust battle, an agreement that many called a victory for Microsoft and that could run into resistance from state attorneys general. The proposed deal would impose relatively mild restrictions on the software maker compared with earlier rulings in the 3-year-old case, focusing largely on tweaking Microsoft's competitive behavior. Among other provisions, the company promised to refrain from contracts and related activities that compel other companies to do its bidding. The Windows operating system, at the heart of a court ruling that branded Microsoft a monopolist, would emerge largely unchanged, and Windows XP--once a focal point of further proceedings--will be free of any significant restrictions.