Case closed: Court denies last appeal of MS-DOJ settlement
C|Net | at | by Mike
A U.S. Appeals Court on Wednesday upheld Microsoft's landmark antitrust settlement with the Department of Justice and several state attorneys general, rejecting Massachusetts' appeal for stiffer penalties.
"The order approving the consent decree in the public interest is affirmed," the appeals court wrote in an 83-page ruling that preserves the settlement and dismisses the objections of Massachusetts--the lone holdout state--and two industry trade groups.
Microsoft was quick to praise the decision. Brad Smith, senior vice president and general counsel at Microsoft, said in a statement. "Today's unanimous decision sends a clear and emphatic message that the settlement reached two years ago is a fair and appropriate resolution of these issues."