Novell and Microsoft Reach Settlement on Antitrust Claims

Novell and Microsoft Reach Settlement on Antitrust Claims: "Microsoft Corporation today announced that it has reached an agreement with Novell, Inc. to resolve all antitrust claims as of today relating to Novell's NetWare product and all of the other products and businesses which it currently owns. The agreement results from a private mediation between the two companies.
As part of this agreement, Novell will release its antitrust claims under U.S. and all other national and state laws concerning these products. Novell will also withdraw from participation in the European Commission's case with Microsoft and will no longer participate as an intervener on behalf of the European Commission in Microsoft's appeal of the Commission's March 24 ruling. Microsoft will pay Novell $536 million under the agreement, and Microsoft will also release its compulsory counterclaims to those antitrust claims regarding NetWare. The agreement does not obligate Microsoft to license or otherwise share any of its technology or intellectual property rights with Novell, nor does it include any admission of wrongdoing by Microsoft.
While the parties were able to resolve all antitrust claims related to Novell's current businesses, including NetWare, they have not been able to reach agreement concerning Novell's antitrust claims related to its ownership of WordPerfect between June 1994 and March 1996. Novell retains the right to pursue those claims. In addition, both parties retain the right to pursue past or future patent claims."

This is a very significant milestone for many reasons and a context I'll be tracking closely.