Following today's news that nine states have joined the settlement between Microsoft Corp. and the U.S. Department of Justice, Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates made the following statement:

"We are pleased that nine states have joined the Department of Justice in supporting this settlement. "The fact that so many states have joined the federal government in supporting this agreement is a very significant positive step toward resolving these issues once and for all. "We made every effort to reach a compromise to address the states' concerns and allow everyone to move forward. Yesterday, at the request of the states, we made some additional revisions to clarify the proposed decree and better capture the intent of the parties. "We hope that the remaining states will join in this agreement, so that everyone can focus on the future and avoid the unnecessary costs and delays of further litigation. "While this decree will place significant restrictions on our business, we believe this is a fair and reasonable settlement that will be good for consumers, good for the high tech industry, and good for the economy. "Microsoft is committed to making this settlement a success. We are committed to becoming a better industry leader, and we will continue to deliver new innovations to revitalize the economy and improve people's lives."