NYT: Microsoft Seems Ready to Settle Europe Suit

Microsoft, after putting up what allies and critics called an uninspiring defense against European Union charges of anti-competitive behavior, is apparently trying to strike a deal with the Brussels regulators. The charges center around the monopoly's pushing of its Media Player by glomming it onto the operating system, much like they did with Internet Explorer several years ago, effectively killing the leading competing browser companies. The legal strategy Microsoft used last time (get a Republican administration to come in and create a case-gutting settlement) probably won't work in Brussels. At issue is the software with which much of online and "offline" media will be played an controlled in the future.