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Microsoft Antitrust Judgement

An anonymous reader writes "Here are the links to the as-yet-unreleased judgement in the Microsoft case by CKK: Final Decree, Memorandum Opinion, Public Interest Order, Opinion on the State Settlement, State Settlement Order." In brief: Kollar-Kotelly accepts the settlement that the Federal Gov't and some states wanted, but she wants a minor change to it; and she has decided the case which was pursued by the other states as well, mostly ordering Microsoft to refrain from certain behaviors with regard to the user-visible desktop. Overall: a massive win for Microsoft, who can restrict the release of its APIs to major commercial companies only.

22 of 1,199 comments (clear)

  1. Huh? by CySurflex · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft Corp. anounces MS Lawyer 2k - This exciting new product translates any sentence or paragraph into pages upon pages of unintelligable lawyer speak. Vanessa Roberts, VP of Public Relations at Microsoft was quoted as saying "we have been using this product for years for our EULA's and to intimidate small competitors, we just figured it's about time we shared the wealth".

    1. Re:Huh? by IPFreely · · Score: 5, Funny

      "An infinite number of Monkeys with typewriters will eventually get the document out correctly, but For version 1.0, we only have 37 Monkeys, and they are limited to 3 hours run time. Expect later version to include more Monkeys"

      --
      There is nothing so silly as other peoples traditions, and nothing so sacred as our own.
  2. Slashdoted in record time by Zelet · · Score: 4, Funny

    I downloaded the initial order quickly. The opinion... took a little longer... now... can't get to anything.

    Congratulations people... you just slashdoted the United States of America Judicial System.

    --
    ...And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me." - Martin Niemoeller (1892-1984)
    1. Re:Slashdoted in record time by MAXOMENOS · · Score: 5, Funny

      Not only that, we slashdotted it before the judgement came out. This has to be the first anticipatory slashdotting I've seen in my four years participating here.

    2. Re:Slashdoted in record time by Jaguar777 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Today a government website was brought to its knees by a terrorist organization making itself known as "Slash Dot". The FBI quickly moved into position to take down the server for the rogue group, but was thwarted in their attempt because the organization recently moved to an unknown location in the western US.

      Tonight on Crossfire we will have "experts" on hand to tell us what this "slash dot" terrorists organization wants. Details are currently sketchy but some sources say it may have something to do with penguins, natalie portman, and hot grits???

      --
      Maybe you should educate the morons of tomorrow so they'll stop believing the leaders of tomorrow. - Dogbert
    3. Re:Slashdoted in record time by gruntvald · · Score: 5, Funny

      Tell me about it. I got pulled over and detained 'cos of my /. bumper sticker. They offered me my 1 phone call, but I decided to trade it for a posting.

    4. Re:Slashdoted in record time by bytesmythe · · Score: 5, Funny
      They offered me my 1 phone call, but I decided to trade it for a posting.

      Just your luck, you probably got modded down. :)

      --
      bytesmythe
      Hypocrisy is the resin that holds the plywood of society together.
      -- Scott Meyer
  3. What a helpful article! by L.+VeGas · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'll put some kind of summary text here once I've had a chance to read it.

    WTF? Ok, I'll put some kind of response here after you've posted it.

  4. Re:the replies to this post by BTWR · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't forget:
    91% - Unfunny comments labeled +5, Funny

    Oh wait... that's every postboard

  5. Scooping the news sites? by Waab · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is /. allowed to post a story before even Matt Drudge gets his grubby little hands on it?

  6. Re:Final Decree - before it gets slashdotted by American+AC+in+Paris · · Score: 5, Funny
    Gah -- that reads worse than a EULA!

    Click "I agree" below to accept the terms of this Final Decree.

    [I Agree] [I Do Not Agree]

    --

    Obliteracy: Words with explosions

  7. Re:I like Microsoft by phuturephunk · · Score: 4, Funny

    . . Did you, at any time in your life, invest in a Ford Pinto? . . .

  8. Re:the replies to this post by nahdude812 · · Score: 5, Funny

    OMG, you predicted your own rating! ;-)

  9. Re:The Judgement Summarized by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    That is indeed an accurate summary. Point J is the crucial one, which is the "Microsoft can ignore the rules" clause.

  10. they wanted to by 2MuchC0ffeeMan · · Score: 4, Funny

    they wanted to test out the new /. servers, this big story is the way to do it.

    --
    Runnin' On Empty .... I'm Still Alive
  11. I'm confused by Gudlyf · · Score: 5, Funny
    IAP, ICP, ISV, IHV or OEM

    I can't tell if they announced the final decree in the Microsoft case, or if they're trying to say the employees of Microsoft caught some kind of new STD.

    --
    Trolls lurk everywhere. Mod them down.
  12. Slashdot to be accused of hacking.... by Traicovn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, since the links were not publicly accessible yet, and had not yet been officially released, this may constitute hacking according to some individuals (see thread about reuters).
    Thanks to slashdot for making us all criminals.... i feel l33t now...

    --

    [Something witty and intelligent should have appeared here.]
    {Traicovn}
  13. Re:the replies to this post by sweetooth · · Score: 4, Funny

    Another 3% will be posts containing "IAAL," followed by a shoddy, educated legal analysis.

  14. Priceless. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The amount of money you threw at your lawyers. ($80,000,000)

    "Gifts" to key government officials. ($20,000,000)

    Propaganda designed to lure the public into complacity. ($20,000,000)

    Getting off basically free of any real restrictions that will let you continue in basically the same manner as before, and any attempt to bring you to trial again will take another 5-10 years. Priceless.

    (I'm itching to know the real numbers)

  15. Re:Final Decree - before it gets slashdotted by Loki_1929 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Click "I agree" below to accept the terms of this Final Decree.

    [I Agree] [I Do Not Agree]"


    Should have made the I agree part link to the goatse guy.

    --
    -- "Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else."
  16. Simultaneous Ruling in Washington by gnarly · · Score: 5, Funny

    WASHINGTON (DC) Nov. 1. Judge Kollar-Kotelly, asserting a rarely used Federal Appellant Court authority, issued a second legal ruling today, this one concerning the case of two suspects charged with going on a shooting rampage in the Washington DC area. The suspects will be released immediately, but ONLY after agreeing under oath not to shoot any more innocent victims. The guns found in the alleged snipers' possesion will not be returned for a period of 5 years, and then ONLY if the two are found in compliance with this decree. Compliance will be determined by a 2 person committee made up of the snipers themselves.

    --
    :-( is a registered trademark of Despair.com
  17. Re:A massive win? by Decimal+Dave · · Score: 4, Funny

    You know, it seems like Microsoft could get around a lot of those judgements simply by changing the name of their OS from "Windows" to something else.

    --

    "Leave the strategizing to those of us with planet-sized brains." -Tycho