New Mexico has agreed to withdraw from the anti-trust case
against Microsoft Corporation, according to reports released
yesterday. The state is one of twenty US states which originally
initiated legal action against the software giant in an attempt to
force it to break up its operations.
In December 1998, the state of South Carolina pulled out of the
case and now it appears that New Mexico has followed suit. The move
comes in the wake of a US District Appeals Court ruling that
Microsoft does have a monopoly over the computer operating systems
market and has abused its position. Although the company was not
forced to break up, it has relaxed its restrictions on PC
manufacturers and the development of computer operating systems
incorporating Microsoft browser software.
The Attorney General for New Mexico Patricia Madrid announced
the settlement with Microsoft yesterday, under which the company
will pay the state’s legal costs amounting to roughly $100,000. The
principal states remaining committed to the litigation include
Connecticut, New York, Iowa and California.
