Micrsoft court case settled

[vegeta1215]

In case anyone's interested, there was a settlement reached in the MS anti-trust case that was released today. You can check it out at http://www.slashdot.org and many other news places online.

In short, it doesn't sound like much is changing. :mad:

[Cloral]

However, many state AGs are not satisfied with this settlement and are going to appeal it. We'll have to wait and see what comes of it.

Here's one article on it:
http://money.cnn.com/2002/11/01/technology/microsoft_remedy/index.htm

It sounds like MS itself is going to appeal to the supreme court anyway, so it is likely that this 'settlement' means nothing in the long run.

[Starkist]

The judge sticks it to the evil greedy states who want MS destroyed! Yes! Microsoft owns you!!!!!!!!!!

I am a fan of Microsoft don't you know.

[vegeta1215]

Yeah, it'll probably stay in court for another 3 years, till it finally stops at the supreme court. By that time another Windows will have come out, and MS will have made even more money.


Originally posted by Starkist
The judge sticks it to the evil greedy states who want MS destroyed! Yes! Microsoft owns you!!!!!!!!!!

They don't own me, not anymore. In fact, I own them...in mouse form (hey, it was cheap optical mouse. You can't beat $18 for one)

[Cyclone]

Grabs his magical hammer and goes after MS.

Cyclone

[Menokh]

Nothing is going to change. Yet at the same time MS's own tactics have and are changing. MS has moved from wanting simple domination of the OS and middleware markets to wanting complete domination of DRM.

Here's a couple more links:
Lawmeme's instant analysis of the decision (http://research.yale.edu/lawmeme/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=477)
an opinion piece form Lawmeme (http://research.yale.edu/lawmeme/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=478)

You want to know why this 'settlement' means absolutely jack shit? And why it won;t stop Ms's plans to rule DRM? Look at Provision J taken directly from the settlement papers:

J. No provision of this Final Judgment shall:

1. Require Microsoft to document, disclose or license to third parties: (a) portions of APIs or Documentation or portions or layers of Communications Protocols the disclosure of which would compromise the security of a particular installation or group of installations of anti-piracy, anti-virus, software licensing, digital rights management, encryption or authentication systems, including without limitation, keys, authorization tokens or enforcement criteria; or (b) any API, interface or other information related to any Microsoft product if lawfully directed not to do so by a governmental agency of competent jurisdiction.

2. Prevent Microsoft from conditioning any license of any API, Documentation or Communications Protocol related to anti-piracy systems, anti-virus technologies, license enforcement mechanisms, authentication/authorization security, or third party intellectual property protection mechanisms of any Microsoft product to any person or entity on the requirement that the licensee: (a) has no history of software counterfeiting or piracy or willful violation of intellectual property rights, (b) has a reasonable business need for the API, Documentation or Communications Protocol for a planned or shipping product, (c) meets reasonable, objective standards established by Microsoft for certifying the authenticity and viability of its business, (d) agrees to submit, at its own expense, any computer program using such APIs, Documentation or Communication Protocols to third-party verification, approved by Microsoft, to test for and ensure verification and compliance with Microsoft specifications for use of the API or interface, which specifications shall be related to proper operation and integrity of the systems and mechanisms identified in this paragraph.

Basically since Palladium and Windows Media Player's codecs and other such stuff fall under security in one way or another, MS does not have to tell us a damned thing about them. Same with IE and any firewall product Ms may have. And MS can do almost anything they want now, since the entire case focused too much on the past, and not what MS is doing now.

The courts, Ms's lawyers, and the states were all treating this case on the basis of MS's past offenses, and they treated it like this was the late 90's and didn't focus on MS's new plans and initiatives. Over all it does not matter if MS releases some API's or slightly interoperates with Open Source, because MS can do whatever it wants with Palladium now.

[deathbyhokie]

menokh, i know you've explained it before, but could you explain exactly what this paladum does/is going to do? and with as little bias as possible. i don't wan t"ms is eviland trying to conquer the world" spin(not that you do that, just trying to avoid it)

[Menokh]

I'll try.
Palladium is Ms's proposed DRM(digital rights management) system. They have been working on it for awhile now, and both AMD and Intel have agreed to make Palladium capable chips, and VIA and Transmeta are sure to follow.

Palladium will be optional, but that may or may not mean anything. Going from just what Ms has revealed about Palladium, I can tell you it will be used to limit what you can do. People will be able to create documents that are computer specific that will not run on any other machine or OS installation, and people can make files that will only open up in Palladium enabled software. The music and movie industries are going to love Palladium to a large degree, as they will be able to make internet broadcasts of music and movies that can not be copied(even if you legally purchased said broadcast and want to back it up on CD, you'll be screwed), and will only work on a Palladium system. Palladium will also be able to prevent the installation of 'unsigned' code, but MS claims that feature won't be used. However in order to get a program signed to work with Palladium, or at least to read Palladium files(Palaldium will have to be on to do this) you'll have to pay MS a license fee, so therefore low-buget software(like Linux, and most Open Source software, and most freeware) will not be able to afford to interoperate well with Palladium(it at all, and this includes things like Zelda Classic).

Palladium will likely not effect the server domain at all. Seems odd, but there really is no evidence that servers will be effected. Contrary to what was believed before, Palladium will talk with non-Palladium computers.

If the media companies take to Palladium and people accept it(which if they buy Palladium capable machines, the majority will), people who aren't using Palladium on thier machines will be forced to do so if they want to take advantage of online media services. And Windows Longhorn will REQUIRE Palladium to be enabled.


That is all we know for certain at the moment. MS, as usual, is keeping alot about Palladium under wraps. But I have one thing to say, how on Earth does this make computing safer? And what if you need to reformat for whatever reason? If you need to reformat all your OS installation specifc files will not work in the new installation, if of course you manage to back them all up somehow.

[mrz84]

and the chaos continues.....