Microsoft Judge Wants Settlement

     Washington (eFront News) – The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., has suggested that a settlement is the best option for both sides in the Microsoft antitrust case.

In a conference last week, Judge Jackson told lawyers from Microsoft and the Department of Justice, "I think this is probably as propitious a time for any possible negotiated outcome as you have."

Late last week, Judge Jackson appointed Chicago federal judge Richard Posner as a mediator for voluntary negotiations between the Department of Justice and Microsoft. Friday, both sides agreed to begin mediation. Judge Jackson also indicated that he appointed Judge Posner because of the separating views between the federal and states' governments. The state and federal attorneys differ in views about issues such as a possible breakup of Microsoft and redistributing Windows source code.

In a related story previously reported by eFront News, a lawsuit has been filed in San Francisco for a refund of the purchase price of Microsoft Windows 95 and 98. Plaintiffs argue that since Microsoft had no competition in the desktop operating system market, they grossly overcharged for Windows products.