REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 6, 2001 — Following today’s news that nine states have joined the settlement between Microsoft Corp. and the U.S. Department of Justice, Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates made the following statement:
“We are pleased that nine states have joined the Department of Justice in supporting this settlement.
“The fact that so many states have joined the federal government in supporting this agreement is a very significant positive step toward resolving these issues once and for all.
“We made every effort to reach a compromise to address the states’ concerns and allow everyone to move forward. Yesterday, at the request of the states, we made some additional revisions to clarify the proposed decree and better capture the intent of the parties.
“We hope that the remaining states will join in this agreement, so that everyone can focus on the future and avoid the unnecessary costs and delays of further litigation.
“While this decree will place significant restrictions on our business, we believe this is a fair and reasonable settlement that will be good for consumers, good for the high tech industry, and good for the economy.
“Microsoft is committed to making this settlement a success. We are committed to becoming a better industry leader, and we will continue to deliver new innovations to revitalize the economy and improve people’s lives.”
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
#########
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
For more information, print and online media only:
Rapid Response Team, Waggener Edstrom, (503) 443-7070, [email protected]
For more information, broadcast media only:
Media Relations, Global Communications and Television, (212) 339-9920
For more information, financial analysts only:
Krishnan Srinivasan, senior director, Investor Relations, Microsoft, (425) 936-3703
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.
