Microsoft Is Yielding in European Antitrust Fight

MICROSOFT IS YIELDING IN EUROPEAN ANTITRUST FIGHT
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Steve lohr and Kevin O'Brien]
Microsoft has given up its nine-year fight against antitrust regulators in Europe, saying yesterday that it would not challenge a court judgment from last month and would share technical information with rivals on terms the software giant had long resisted. European regulators and some software groups in Europe hailed the deal as a breakthrough that should open the door to freer competition, especially in the market for the server software that powers corporate data centers and the Internet. The agreement was struck in Europe, but it will have consequences worldwide because the terms for licensing Microsoft’s intellectual property will be extended to competitors in the United States and in other markets. If the new terms enhance competition, as the regulators say, consumers could benefit from lower prices and faster innovation in software.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/23/technology/23soft.html?ref=todayspaper
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