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Wednesday, October 29, 2003

Law school applications level off. This is Melissa Schneider with Tuesday's law school news. The Daily Northwestern campus newspaper at Northwestern University reports today that the significant national increase in law school applicants over the past few years may now begin to level off. [JURIST's Paper Chase]
9:36:33 AM

New Ways to Skirt DMCA & hellip; Legally!. The U.S. Copyright Office gives consumers the right to work around certain provisions of the controversial law. Digital-rights advocates worry the exemptions don't go far enough. By Katie Dean. [Wired News]
9:25:30 AM

Microsoft will turn off Messenger, turn on firewall. Microsoft Corp. will detail plans to disable the Windows Messenger Service and activate the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) by default on Windows XP machines in an effort to protect computers from malicious attacks, a company executive said Tuesday. [InfoWorld: Top News]
9:22:02 AM

InformationWeek > Legal > Microsoft Settles Class-Action Suits With Five More States And D.C. > October 28, 2003 - Microsoft said Tuesday that it has reached settlements worth $200 million with five more states and the District of Columbia in its ongoing legal efforts to resolve class-action lawsuits.

Not too bad for MSFT, considering they've got over $40 billion in the bank and the payout is in vouchers to consumers. The thing about coupons is that the redemption rate is really low, in the single digits, but people remember the ad. That's why manufacturers like them. So MSFT advertises the availability of the vouchers, some people get them, fewer redeem them, plenty of folks are thinking MSFT when they go to buy software/hardware. Oh, very punishing. But don't forget that at the end of the program, up to half of the unclaimed vouchers will be given to schools, so they can run out and buy MSFT stuff. Man, I wish I could get off that easy next time I get pulled over for doing 75 in a 65 zone.

Think about it, MSFT is shelling out up to $200 million in what amounts to a state sponsored marketing cmapaign. How about this, get MSFT to fork over $1 billion, still small change for them, and distribute it to the states to actually use for education or parks, or something.

8:54:10 AM