Federal and state regulators have voiced concern that a feature in Windows XP that involves online music purchasing may violate terms of Microsoft"s antitrust settlement.
The issue surfaced in a court-mandated briefing filed jointly by Microsoft and federal and state regulators. The compliance update says there are ongoing discussions over the "Shop for Music Online" feature in the operating system.
"Plaintiffs are concerned that the feature invokes Microsoft"s Internet Explorer, rather than the user"s chosen default browser, in a manner that may be inconsistent" with the settlement, according to the filing.
Discussions between the parties have continued, though the issue remains unresolved. "If Plaintiffs and Microsoft are unable to resolve this issue, the parties may seek assistance from the Court," the filing states.
The feature is located inconspicuously inside the Windows "My Music" folder, which is created automatically when Windows XP is installed. Clicking the link opens an Internet Explorer window -- even if another browser such as Opera or Mozilla is the computer"s default browser.