Microsoft settled YAATLS (Yet Another Anti-Trust Law Suit) today, agreeing to pay Realnetworks (makers of streaming audio software 'real player') US$761
million. From the
BusinessWeek article:
In exchange, RealNetworks agreed to drop all its antitrust claims against Microsoft worldwide. Convienent.
Curiosity peaked my interest enough on this one that I thought I might go snooping into Microsoft's history of lawsuits and luckily, someone else was one step ahead of me. The Inquirer (tagline : "We're so offensive we're banned in Kazakhstan" ) has an article up describing
Microsoft's lawsuit payouts over time:
The surprising thing is not only the number of those lawsuits against Microsoft – at one time, it had more than 130 pending – but more importantly, the sheer amount of money it represents.
The Redmond giant has been ordered to pay nearly $9 billion, a figure which is set to rise with some lawsuits still to be ruled on.
. Whoa.