Everybody stood by just waiting for the band to follow suit and split up.

BBC: Catatonia: Equally cursed and blessed

Microsoft and the Justice Department agreed upon a settlement in November, but the District of Columbia and 18 states -- which had filed a separate suit -- failed to agree to the terms and split down the middle.

CNN: Top Technology Stories for 2001

The suit, rumbling in the courts for six years, has led to an unusual split between federal regulators.

FORBES: Wall Street Worries