The writers of "Redmond Justice" threw us all another curve on Monday, as the government filed its latest brief in the ongoing battle to settle on a remedy. The last filing came from Microsoft, who issued a comedic rebuttal of the government's most recent breakup plan, and proposed numerous changes for the judge to make. The government, sensing danger, requested the opportunity to react to Microsoft's proposed changes; the judge agreed. But while most fans of the show were expecting a scathing report describing why each and every one of Microsoft's suggestions would derail the effectiveness of the remedy, the government instead caved like a house of cards in a wind tunnel.

Get this-- according to WIRED, the government has actually agreed to call the breakup a "divestiture" instead of a "reorganization." Imagine! As if a "divestiture" is going to be anywhere near as effective in stopping predatory business practices as a "reorganization" would be. If that's not startling enough, the government has also agreed to replace the word "limit" with the word "restrict"; we don't need to tell you how seriously that's going to affect the enforceability of the plan. And most shocking of all, the government has made a major tactical concession and agreed to capitalize the terms "personal computer" and "manager" throughout the document. It's like Microsoft committed eight counts of first-degree murder and is walking away with probation and a fifty-dollar fine.

While the government refused to budge on certain other issues, such as the mandate that Microsoft be required to save all of its email and the ten-year minimum on conduct limitations, we think you'll agree that such ineffectual demands are nothing more than thinly-veiled attempts to distract the public from the major concessions described above. Following Microsoft's stunning semantic victory, we can only assume that bribery and graft figured heavily in the government's latest behavior. Perhaps more nefarious schemes will come to light when Microsoft files its final brief on Wednesday.