Is Microsoft flouting its anti-trust settlement?


An article from the Washington Post provides a number of complaints from Microsoft competitors indicating that they are violating the spirit, if not the letter, of the anti-trust agreement with the Feds.

One issue is the licensing terms and prices for crucial interoperability technologies from Microsoft. These include a host of communications protocols necessary for some vendors to coexist with Microsoft servers and workstations.

Also at issue is the speed with which the information and the protocols are available to the licensees. Sun, in particular, complains that it is taking too long for new protocols to become available and that once they are, the license rates are too steep. As an example, they claim licensing for a single server may account for up to $200,000 per unit.

The Justice Department says they have 8 lawyers working on it and are making progress.