C|net notes that AOL’s settlement with Microsoft yesterday helps the software giant extend its digital media technology even further. “The deal allows — but does not require — AOL Time Warner to use Microsoft’s Windows Media 9 Series software and future versions of the multimedia technology, including its digital rights management (DRM) tool for securing music and video files from piracy,” notes the article. “Despite the open-endedness of the terms, the deal represents an important victory for Microsoft, which has tried for years to overcome reluctance from AOL Time Warner and other media companies to embrace its digital media technology over that of rivals, notably RealNetworks and Apple Computer.”