Massachusetts leads opposition to Microsoft settlement

BOSTON – Eight states and the District of Columbia joined Massachusetts last week in opposing a settlement of an antitrust suit reached by the United States Attorney General with Microsoft. That split the states that had joined the federal government in the suit, as nine, led by New York approved the settlement. According to the Bloomberg News Service and other news sources, the dissenting states concluded that the modified agreement doesn’t assure competition with Microsoft’s dominating Windows operating system, which is used in 95 percent of personal computers around the world. Bloomberg quoted Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas Reilly as saying, “There’s no question in my mind that five minutes after any agreement is signed, Microsoft will be looking for ways to violate it.” Reilly welcomed the addition of the eight other states to the opposition since the Bay State had been in a precarious position financially and politically after its initial isolated position.