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MS/DOJ: Microsoft approached Justice Department to discuss settlement

By Cara Garretson
July 16, 2001 10:55 am PT


MICROSOFT LAST WEEK approached a top official at the U.S. Department of Justice with a proposal to launch a new round of settlement talks, according to an article in Monday's The Wall Street Journal.

A Microsoft spokesman said the company "would not comment on anything related to potential settlement efforts." A Justice Department spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

According to the article, Microsoft telephoned Charles James, the Justice Department's recently appointed assistant attorney general for the antitrust division, shortly before it announced plans on Wednesday to loosen restrictions on hardware manufacturers regarding the Windows desktop. The software company said it will no longer require PC makers to preserve the Internet Explorer icon on the desktops of Windows-based PCs that they ship to customers, and it will allow them to show the icons of third-party software applications.

Microsoft had acknowledged that it changed its policy in reaction to a recent appeals court ruling that found such action to be part of the company's monopoly maintenance practices.

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Cheers

Doug Marker
(I really hope the DOJ is ready to kick-a**)