Judge dismisses Texas suit against Microsoft (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

                Posted at 12:41 p.m. PST Tuesday, February 17, 1998

                       Judge dismisses Texas suit
                       against Microsoft

                       REDMOND, Wash. (Reuters) - A Texas judge Tuesday
                       dismissed a state lawsuit contending that Microsoft
Corp.'s
                       non-disclosure agreements with computer makers and 
others with
                       whom the company does business including analysts and 
software
                       developers, were improper, the software company said.

                       State District Judge Joseph Hart in Austin dismissed 
the lawsuit
                       brought by state Attorney General Dan Morales, 
Microsoft said
                       in a statement.

                       Morales had contended that the non-disclosure 
agreements, or
                       NDAs, could hamper efforts to investigate the 
software giant
                       because they require vendors and customers to notify 
Microsoft
                       before releasing any covered information -- even to 
government
                       authorities.

                       Microsoft argued for dismissal, saying its NDAs were 
similar to
                       others used throughout the industry and had not 
interfered with
                       Texas' investigation of the company's business 
practices.

                       ``We are pleased that the court recognized the 
important role
                       non-disclosure agreements play in protecting 
Microsoft's
                       intellectual property -- our most valuable asset,'' 
Microsoft
                       associate general counsel Tom Burt said in a 
statement.

                       ``These agreements do nothing to prevent the 
government from
                       doing its job,'' Burt said. ``Microsoft has 
cooperated with the
                       state's investigation, and we will continue to 
cooperate with the
                       Attorney General's office as its investigation 
continues.''