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Has Microsoft gone soft?

Time: 09:52 EST/14:52 GMT | News Source: ZDNet | Posted By: Brian Kvalheim

When you're the industry's 800-pound gorilla, what's a few billion dollars to pay for problems to disappear? So it is that erstwhile rivals like Sun Microsystems, America Online or InterTrust Technologies have walked away with small fortunes, courtesy of Microsoft over the last year. How much longer before Steve Ballmer invites Rob Glaser to drop RealNetworks' $1 billion lawsuit in return for a sizable check with fewer zeroes? As CEO, Ballmer no doubt has far better ideas about how to invest the company's funds. But shareholders need not wonder whether their favorite equity holding is turning into a pliant pinata. With nearly $60 billion in cash, Microsoft can afford to settle all its various legal troubles and not miss a beat.