“Microsoft… previously argued that it isn’t a monopoly and
shouldn’t be subject to any restrictions on its conduct. But it is
changing its tone as settlement talks continue in Chicago and both
sides prepare to return to federal court here for closing arguments
next week.
‘Microsoft is quite seriously trying to settle this case, and we
believe a common-sense settlement should be possible,’ Microsoft
wrote in an e-mail to congressional offices on Friday. It rejected
any breakup as ‘extreme and unwarranted … a regulatory death
sentence while the high-tech economy whizzes by on Internet
time.’
The settlement effort, shrouded in secrecy since it began in
Chicago late last year, has been mediated by a federal appeals
court judge, Richard Posner. While a number of proposals remain on
the table in that effort, participants say that without a
substantial shift by one side or the other the talks are unlikely
to yield an agreement before the two sides return to court for the
trial’s final round.”