Could Microsoft be forced to delay Windows XP?
By: Arie Slob
Pressure is mounting on Microsoft with a meeting in September of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who will debate Windows XP and its effects on Internet competition. Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in a press conference last Tuesday, asked federal and state trustbusters to consider taking action that would delay Windows XP's release.
"Last night, I spoke with New York State Attorney General Elliot Spitzer, and I am calling on him, along with the other state attorneys general, to bring suit enjoining the release of Windows XP unless Microsoft agrees to make significant changes to XP either as part of a global settlement or on their own initiative," Schumer - whose state is home to Microsoft competitors including AOL Time Warner, IBM and Eastman Kodak - said.
Windows XP includes functionality for movie making, media playing, instant messaging and some digital media related technologies, all of which will make third party applications superfluous.
On the same day, software maker InterTrust amended an existing lawsuit against Microsoft, asking for an injunction against Windows XP. InterTrust charges that controversial product-activation technology found in Windows XP violates four InterTrust patents.
Windows XP is scheduled for an October 25 launch, and Microsoft is said to be working feverishly to get Windows XP to gold code (final code) as soon as possible.
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