Microsoft settles with Novell, CCIA News
Microsoft settles with Novell, CCIA

[JURIST] Novell Inc. announced Monday that it has agreed to a settlement with Microsoft Corp. over antitrust issues. The dispute involved Novell's NetWare, an operating system with which Novell had hoped to compete with Microsoft's Windows. The two companies agreed that Microsoft will pay Novell $536 million in cash. Novell has plans for an additional antitrust suit regarding competitive practices with Novell's WordPerfect word processing software. Read Novell's press release here, and Microsoft's release here. Also Monday, Microsoft settled with the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) in an agreement under which the CCIA undertook not to seek Supreme Court review in its challenge to the US government's antitrust case against Microsoft. The CCIA also agreed it would not further participate as intervener on behalf of the European Commission in Microsoft's appeal of that body's antitrust ruling against it. Reuters has more. Read Microsoft's press release here.

UPDATE: AFP reports Microsoft is planning a news conference regarding the two settlements at 4 PM CET.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.