U.S. lawyers say Microsoft settlement is falling short

[salin]

U.S. lawyers say Microsoft settlement is falling short

By Ted Bridis
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — One of the most important provisions of the antitrust settlement negotiated with Microsoft is falling short of the federal government's hopes that it would energize rivals of the world's largest software maker, the Justice Department acknowledged yesterday.

U.S. antitrust lawyers told the trial judge they are increasingly uneasy that efforts to persuade competitors to license Microsoft's Windows technology for their own software products "are not likely to spur the emergence in the marketplace of broad competitors to the Windows desktop."

The landmark antitrust settlement compels Microsoft to offer its technology to competitors to build products that seamlessly communicate with computers running Windows software. When the settlement was negotiated, the judge and government lawyers described that requirement as among its most significant provisions toward restoring competition in the technology industry.

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The state's attorney general, Thomas Reilly, also disclosed in court papers that his lawyers were investigating claims Microsoft has planned an intensive campaign against unspecified rival Internet search engines and against Adobe Systems.

Adobe's Acrobat software is among the most popular methods for exchanging electronic documents across the Internet.

more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2001838437_microsoft170.html