Microsoft admits abusing antitrust settlement

Microsoft is already using the settlement it made with the US states taking it to court in its antitrust dispute to gain more favourable licensing agreements with them.

According to the latest courtroom filings by the nine states still fighting the software giant, Microsoft senior VP Richard Fade admitted the company was using the settlement in its favour.

The nine maverick states are trying to prove that far from being a fair punishment, the settlement reached at the end of last year actually encourages new anti-competitive behaviour.

According to the filing, the settlement allows Microsoft to waive any obligations to respect PC makers' patents in its licensing agreement with them.