Microsoft Judge Set to Name Mediator
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The federal judge overseeing the landmark antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. is expected next week to appoint a mediator in hopes of brokering a settlement.
Attorneys for the software giant, the Justice Department and the 18 states suing Microsoft spoke in a conference call with U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.
Later, the sides declined to discuss the call. But two people informed of the conversation by participants said Microsoft and the prosecutors reported that they haven’t been able to reach a settlement on their own.
Kollar-Kotelly said Sept. 28 that she would name a mediator if no deal was achieved by Friday, and she plans to do so early next week, sources said.
Previous court rulings found that Microsoft broke federal laws by strong-arming computer companies to protect its monopoly on PC operating systems. Absent a settlement by Nov. 2 on how Microsoft should be punished and its future conduct restricted, a trial on those issues is planned for March.
Microsoft rose 6 cents to $56.38 on Nasdaq.