Microsoft Settles Another Score; It's Amazing What A Little Cash Will Do
from the today,-we-settle-all... dept
It must be nice to have billions and billions of dollars in cash. It lets you settle all sorts of complaints without really impacting too much. Last year, Microsoft got long term enemy Sun to go away (mostly) quietly by handing over $2 billion. Comparatively, it looks like Microsoft got off lightly with IBM, who they only have to pay $775 million to in order to settle all claims. Back during the antitrust trial, people liked to compare Microsoft's negotiating tactics to the movie The Godfather. The difference, though, is that when Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer decide to "settle all the family's business" they just open up their wallet.
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