Microsoft Settles Suit With Burst.com

Microsoft Corp. and Burst.com Inc. said they agreed to settle Burst’s 2002 lawsuit that accused Microsoft of stealing its technology for high-speed Internet broadcasting of sound and video.

Burst, a Santa Rosa, Calif.-based software provider, accused Microsoft of patent infringement, antitrust violations and destroying e-mail evidence in the case. Burst shares rose 88%, or $1.59, to $3.39, in over-the-counter trading.

The agreement tentatively “resolved all the issues between the two companies,� said Stacy Drake, spokeswoman for Microsoft. Eric Walters, a Burst vice president, said the company “reached agreement in principle� on the lawsuit. Both declined to give details of the settlement, saying it hadn’t been completed.

Shares of Microsoft rose 12 cents to $25.43 on Nasdaq.