Microsoft has agreed to pay 750million US dollars to AOL Time Warner to settle a lawsuit claiming thesoftware giant used its dominance to crush Netscape Communications,now a part of the AOL group.
Netscape, the onetime Internet star and the most visible victimof Microsoft in the "browser wars," filed suit in January 2002claiming its woes were the result of "anticompetitive conduct."
Once the leading browser, Netscape has been reduced to a minorplayer in the market for browsers since Microsoft integrated itsInternet Explorer into the Windows operating system.
Netscape was acquired in 1999 by American Online, and is nowpart of the AOL Time Warner group.
In a joint statement, the two companies also said they would"collaborate on long-term digital media initiatives that willaccelerate the adoption of digital content," and to "a newroyalty-free, seven-year license of Microsoft's browsing technologyand a variety of steps designed to ensure that their products workbetter with each other."
In addition, Microsoft agreed to provide the AOL online servicewith a new distribution channel for its software to certain PC usersworldwide.
AFP