US OKs Expiration of Microsoft Antitrust Deal

Attorneys for the Department of Justice and several states told a judge that they would not raise any objections to next month's expiration of Microsoft's decade-old antitrust settlement with the U.S government.

The plaintiffs' attorneys told US DC District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly that they believed Microsoft has met the terms of the settlement, which mainly required the company to share Windows APIs and other key technical information with the broader tech industry and provide licenses on reasonable terms. The April 27 hearing was effectively the last chance for the DOJ or the states, which included California, New York, Massachusetts, and 14 others that sued Microsoft, as well as the District of Columbia, to raise objections to the May 12 expiration. In a brief filed prior to the hearing, the plaintiffs said Microsoft "has met the goals of the wind-down plan." The May 12 expiration will now kick in automatically, as no further court hearings are planned. The settlement's expiration isn't likely to have any immediate impact on Microsoft's product portfolio, and the company has stated that it plans to comply with most of its terms beyond May 12. But the fact that it no longer has to devote significant time and management resources to documenting its compliance should at the very least allow the company to make decisions more quickly and efficiently -- which is crucial as it comes under increased competitive pressure from Apple, Google, and other rivals.