Firms protest AOL's IM policy to FCC, FTC

A group of 43 firms including Microsoft Corp. (msft) and CMGI Inc. (cmgi) have sent a letter to the chairmen of the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission expressing concerns over America Online Inc.’s handling of instant messaging. AOL (aol) has resisted attempts to make its popular IM programs interoperable with other firms’ software. The letter cites AOL’s pending merger with Time Warner Inc. (TWX) and says that government should "support the principals of open standards and interoperability." -- Margaret Kane, ZDNet News