Post #17,119
11/7/01 10:32:17 AM
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MSFT must have been laughing out loud ...
... until they found out yesterday that not all the states are as naiive as they thought they were. MSFT thought they'd get another 95 Consent Decree, whereby they could dictate the terms of the decree. Some of the states seem to have seen through their continued dirty tricks. Microsoft would never agree to a settlement that they couldn't snake around. My hope in a solution/penalty that has bite is increased.
[link|http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/industry/11/07/microsoft.ap/index.html|
Microsoft face two-front court fight]
....
Officials in some of those nine states hinted they may eventually settle their complaints, perhaps within the week. "A number of states said they will take a look at this over the next few days," said Iowa's attorney general, Tom Miller, who was responsible for preserving the states' coalition. Miller, one of Microsoft's most consistent critics, said even he could not rule out a settlement.
But others took firm stands opposing settlement, including California and Massachusetts, signaling a raucous courtroom fight early next year. West Virginia's attorney general, Darrell McGraw Jr., called Microsoft an "illegal, unlawful actor who has damaged the economy by its misconduct ... and by some curious twist of fate has taken the driver's seat in a process where the settlement legitimizes many facets of the company's misconduct."
California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who also has emerged among Microsoft's tougher critics, said remaining states will push for tougher sanctions than those contained in this week's deal.
"This agreement does absolutely nothing to punish Microsoft for the bad behavior that every judge has agreed they committed," Lockyer said.
Microsoft recognized its strategic risks and asked U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on Tuesday to delay any court proceedings until she decides whether the settlement is in the best interest of consumers. "Sound public policy demands that this court decide whether the proposed final judgment is in the public interest before permitting the states' private litigation to proceed," the company said in court papers.
But Kollar-Kotelly refused Microsoft's request and set an aggressive schedule to move forward on both issues.
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Post #17,122
11/7/01 10:39:01 AM
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The newly appointed Administration was laughing too.
The deal "raises the very real perception that such inexplicable and irrational behavior by our nation's top law enforcement agency may be attributable to political pressure, rather than the public interest," says Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.
<Lost the link, sorry>
bcnu,
Mikem
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Post #17,145
11/7/01 12:27:47 PM
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bidness as usual reno's "what chinese money" comes to mind
tshirt front "born to die before I get old"
thshirt back "fscked another one didnja?"
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Post #17,152
11/7/01 12:58:22 PM
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Difference: Chinese money was investigated, this won't be.
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Post #17,265
11/7/01 9:22:21 PM
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chinese investigation stopped cold when close to top
tshirt front "born to die before I get old"
thshirt back "fscked another one didnja?"
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Post #17,275
11/7/01 11:09:24 PM
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Last few paragraphs interesting...
Microsoft won some encouragement from an unexpected new ally. The head of the Justice Department's antitrust division, Charles James, predicted that Microsoft ultimately will face no tougher sanctions than those it already negotiated with Justice and the nine states. James defended the agreement as "good for consumers, and we think it's good for the technology economy." He also noted that, even as California and others urge the judge to impose harsher penalties, those states "will get the benefit of our settlement." The language he chose to use here is... revealing.
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* Jack Troughton jake at jakesplace.dhs.org *
* [link|http://jakesplace.dhs.org|[link|http://jakesplace.dhs.org|http://jakesplace.dhs.org]] [link|ftp://jakesplace.dhs.org|[link|ftp://jakesplace.dhs.org|ftp://jakesplace.dhs.org]] *
* Montr\ufffdal PQ Canada [link|news://jakesplace.dhs.org|news://jakesplace.dhs.org] *
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Post #17,327
11/8/01 11:58:54 AM
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Leaning on the states
They are already leaning on the states to accept the settlement. The DOJ doesn't want the states to go forward because it will look foolish if the states get a harsher penalty then the DOJ negotiated.
Worse yet for the DOJ/MS settlement is that the hearing of the settlement will be going on at the same time as the hearings for the states. If the states do convince the judge that a harsher penalty is required, then how can she approve the settlement as being in the best interest?
Jay
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Post #17,334
11/8/01 12:31:27 PM
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long time no hear, hows trix?
tshirt front "born to die before I get old"
thshirt back "fscked another one didnja?"
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Post #17,470
11/9/01 10:09:49 AM
11/9/01 10:10:31 AM
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(Silly Rabbit, Trix are for kids...)
jb4
(Resistance is not futile...)
Edited by jb4
Nov. 9, 2001, 10:10:31 AM EST
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Post #17,560
11/9/01 4:19:12 PM
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trix are grim, unfortunately
Still no job. Tech wages here have taken a major nosedive. I thought I might have picked up a contract in Minn. for good money, but it seems to have tanked... cancelled by the customer (I was two levels down on the food chain). Sad to say, things are imploding a bit on the eCS front. Work has not been done on a French language version... and I have no vendable product if I don't have it in French: Québec is a French-speaking place, after all. I have a sale ready to go to Hydro Quebec as soon as a French version is available, but until then it's a no go. To give you an idea of how bad the tech market here has gotten... they're offering 12$CDN/Hr for web designers now. Good for recent grads with no kids perhaps, but otherwise, it just sucks. How are things with you these days?
--
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* Jack Troughton jake at jakesplace.dhs.org *
* [link|http://jakesplace.dhs.org|[link|http://jakesplace.dhs.org|http://jakesplace.dhs.org]] [link|ftp://jakesplace.dhs.org|[link|ftp://jakesplace.dhs.org|ftp://jakesplace.dhs.org]] *
* Montr\ufffdal PQ Canada [link|news://jakesplace.dhs.org|news://jakesplace.dhs.org] *
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Post #17,582
11/9/01 5:17:17 PM
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Well, waiting for the shoe to drop
was told decisions soon but our management level does not have a date or a number yet except that it will happen and soon. Seems to be a few things going on here and there but wages have tanked. 50 an hr in the rtp last year gets 35 now (contract short time) hafta wait and see.
thanx,
bill
tshirt front "born to die before I get old"
thshirt back "fscked another one didnja?"
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