The Microsoft-AOL stitch-up

MSNBC reports:

“May 29 :  In a sweeping settlement, Microsoft will pay AOL Time Warner $750 million to end a private antitrust lawsuit over Web browser technology. The agreement also will place Microsoft digital media technology on AOL’s online service and clears the path for the two companies to explore technology sharing.”

Well, well… Now let’s see what that means, exactly. Scott Rosenberg knows:

“Microsoft pays AOL $750 million, AOL switches to Internet Explorer, and the two biggest behemoths in the online world start working together instead of competing. The next time you hear anyone in the Bush administration talk about the importance of competition and the free market, remember whose Justice Department it was that brought us the Microsoft antitrust settlement.”