Microsoft agrees to extend Windows code licencing

WASHINGTON - Microsoft Corp. has agreed to extend one of the key provisions

of its landmark 2002 antitrust settlement with the U.S. government, the Justice

Department said.

Microsoft will continue to licence important technical data that competitors

need to make their software work well with the Windows server operating system

for up to five years beyond 2007, the year the settlement is scheduled to

expire, the department said.

In documents filed with the federal judge overseeing the settlement, the

department said it had sought the extension because Microsoft had run into

"protracted delays" in compiling the data that companies need to take

advantage of the programme.

Microsoft is required to licence the information about its computer operating

system to other companies under the terms of the antitrust settlement.

The overall settlement is scheduled to expire after five years with the

possibility of a two-year extension. In the documents filed with the court,

Microsoft agreed to extend the licencing program for an additional two years, to

2009. It pledged to offer the program for another three years, outside the terms

of the settlement.

In February, Microsoft responded to earlier complaints about delays by

agreeing to disclose more information about the server operating system.