“The states yesterday responded with new demands, directly
leading to the talks’ collapse… One demand renewed an earlier
request that Microsoft be compelled to develop a version of
Microsoft Office for the Linux operating system, said a source
familiar with the discussions. Another would give each of the 19
states the power to independently enforce any consent decree coming
out of the negotiations.”
“”Microsoft is sailing into dangerous, uncharted waters with
respect to these pending civil lawsuits,” explained Rich Gray, an
intellectual property attorney with Outside General Counsel Silicon
Valley of Menlo Park, Calif. “Once Jackson decides on a remedy and
issues his final judgment, that judgment can be used to great
advantage in these civil lawsuits even while Microsoft appeals the
ruling.””
“”I would expect we’ll get a decision from Jackson next Friday,
and I expect it will be ugly for Microsoft,” Gray said.”