WASHINGTON -- Microsoft's foes bribed state attorneys general to continue with the antitrust suit, columnist Robert Novak claimed this week. In his column, which appears in the Washington Post, Novak pointed out that the attorneys general who have refused to settle the case have received tens of thousands of dollars -- each, in some cases -- from Microsoft enemies including Oracle and Sun Microsystems.
"The symbiotic relationship between state attorneys general and Microsoft's foes is shown in Utah. (Mark) Shurtleff, serving his first year as attorney general in 2001, waited until 15 minutes before the 11 a.m. deadline Nov. 6 before joining the anti-Microsoft group. But lawyers inherited from his Democratic predecessor long had collaborated with Novell," Novak wrote.
An April 2000 e-mail message from the Utah attorney general's office to Novell, revealed in court, asked for "guidance ... preferably without involving too many people seeing this language."
The remedy proceedings continue next week.
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No more Linux? Recently we learned that with Codeweaver's CrossOver Office, Linux users can install and use Microsoft Office on their PCs without the Windows operating system.
But -- and, remember, this is speculation -- Microsoft could change its end-user license (EULA) agreement to prevent it.
Just to be sure, we checked with Microsoft.
"Nothing in the Office EULA prohibits someone from running Office on another operating system," Nicole von Kaenel, Microsoft Office product manager, said in reply.
Von Kaenel also said, "Microsoft has no plans to change its licensing at this time."
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NASA's non-secret: NASA's secret shuttle launch times have been exposed on the Web, spaceflightnow.com reported this week.
It seems that Spacehab Inc., a NASA contractor, disclosed the launch time for STS-107, a July flight of the Columbia shuttle that's considered sensitive since it will be carrying an Israeli astronaut.
A UPI report said the policy -- in effect since Sept. 11 -- has been to withhold information until the day before the launch.
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Anti-terror lawsuit: The Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a lawsuit (PDF) this week to find out the privacy impact of the Bush administration's anti-terrorism measures.
The suit, filed against the Office of Homeland Security, seeks to find information about proposed model state legislation requiring that driver's licenses issued to noncitizens be tied to visas, biometric identification systems and a "trusted flyer" program.
The Office of Homeland Security had not responded to a request that EPIC made under the Freedom of Information Act.
Read ongoing U.S. v. Microsoft coverage
Hollings Howls Will Have to Wait
U.S. Nuke Report: Benign Online
U.S. Nuke Report: Benign Online
