An official report on Microsoft's powerful grip on the software market has revealed that US Justice Department officials "remain concerned" about the giant's compliance with its antitrust settlement with the government.
The news coincided with press reports that the giant might pay its shareholders a special dividend of more than $10bn (£6bn).

In a report to US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, antitrust enforcers said they were unhappy with Microsoft's planned rates and royalty structure as the firm prepares to let its competitors in on some of its secrets.

Under the terms of the settlement, Microsoft had agreed to offer its competitors "reasonable and non-discriminatory" terms of access to its secret codes to enable them to make software of their own that would work well with Microsoft's Windows operating system.

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The enforcers' concerns mirror those of the software giant's competitors, including Sun Microsystems, who have complained that the licensing terms on offer remain harsh, despite Microsoft's promise in April to make it easier and cheaper to license the protocols needed.

Judge Kollar-Kotelly has previously stressed the importance of a reasonable licensing regime, insisting that without one the settlement could end up "prematurely obsolete".

In response to the report, a Microsoft spokesman said the firm remains "open to considering additional feedback from government and industry", insisting that the company has complied with the terms of the settlement.

The settlement was reached following a long-running case in which Microsoft was found guilty of abusing its monopoly in personal computer operating systems.