Warum die sieben US-Bundesstaaten gegen Microsoft nicht in die Revision gingen

[Lars Weitze <cd@kalkatraz.de>]

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=6733

Dissenting states took Microsoft money to drop antitrust appeal

Vole made offer seven states couldn't refuse

By INQUIRER staff: Saturday 14 December 2002, 10:36

SEVEN OUT OF the nine states in the US which stood out against the
Microsoft-Department of Justice antitrust settlement were offered money
to drop their action, the Washington Post claimed today.

Microsoft's chief lawyer first approached California's attorney general
with a special deal which would cover it and the other states' expenses
if they dropped an appeal against the ruling they were making.

And California and six other states decided to accept Microsoft's offer
and took $25 million from the software company and an extra $3.6 million
to enforce the DoJ forged deal, the paper said.

If the states had decided to carry on with their appeal, Microsoft would
fight the case to the limits of their ability and also fiercely contest
costs, the newspaper said.

Only two of the original nine states have decided to carry on with the
appeal -- West Virginia and Massachusetts.

The report quotes a Microsoft spin doctor as saying that the special
negotiations were part of the firm's attempt to re-build relationships
with states.

The paper suggests some of the states settled because they were a bit
strapped for cash. Hardly a very good reason, when the money Microsoft
offered was so little, we'd venture.

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