The following story is true as I did see the interview on the NBR so I am confused as to what is going on here??
Thursday February 17 7:34 PM ET
Gates: Could Open Windows to
Settle Suit
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp
(NasdaqNM:MSFT - news). Chairman Bill Gates said the
software giant would be willing to open to competitors the
source code to its Windows operating system, its flagship
product, to settle the antitrust lawsuit brought by the U.S.
Justice Department, Bloomberg Television said on
Thursday.
''Microsoft Corp. would be willing to open the source
code for its Windows software to competitors in order to
settle the antitrust case filed by the U.S. Department of
Justice,'' a Bloomberg news release quoted Gates as
saying.
Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinan declined to confirm the
report, which was issued just hours after Gates launched
Windows 2000, the company's latest product that it hopes
will help it dominate the corporate computing world.
Microsoft is in negotiations with the Justice Department
to find a way to settle charges that the Redmond,
Wash.-based company violated antitrust laws by using
monopoly power in computer operating systems to crush
rivals.
By opening the source code to Windows, which accounts
for about 40 percent of the company's revenues, Microsoft
would allow other software developers, including its
competitors, to change and sell their own versions of the
software.
On Wednesday, a report in the Wall Street Journal said
Microsoft was willing to agree to greater disclosure of the
inner workings of Windows, and to other concessions to
settle the case.
Microsoft executives including Gates have said they
oppose any plan to settle the suit that would break the
company up.
Appellate Judge Richard Posner, who is presiding over the
talks between Microsoft and the Justice Department, has
told both sides in strong terms not to speak to the press
about the talks.
Frank |
