Russian security firm Kaspersky Lab has dropped its European Union antitrust complaint against Microsoft Corp. as the operating system maker has agreed to play more nicely on the cybersecurity front with future Windows updates.

In the complaint, lodged in June, Kaspersky claimed that Microsoft prevents makers of security software from competing on equal footing because it was using its dominant position in the computer operating system market to promote its own security software aggressively. Windows Defender, launched in 2005, has been bundled with versions of Windows starting from Vista, but more recent versions have become far more dominant to the exclusion of third-party options, at least according to Kaspersky.

In what could politely be described as detente, but reads more like two companies taking illicit substances while singing John Lennon songs, Microsoft has agreed to provide “cybersecurity developers more time to prepare for upcoming Windows updates as well as receive the final Windows builds earlier.” According to Kaspersky, this will allow “vendors to test every aspect of their security solutions’ behavior in the new version of the operating system, prior to its release, to ensure excellent compatibility.”

Microsoft confirmed the news, saying that in addition to giving cybersecurity vendors advanced access to new versions of Windows, it also has “modified how Windows will inform users when their antivirus application has expired and is no longer protecting them.”

“Part of delivering on that commitment is listening and responding to feedback from our customers and partners,” Microsoft Partner Director Rob Lefferts said in a blog post. “We work closely with AV partners like Kaspersky Lab, and at our Microsoft Virus Initiative forum last month, we made great progress in building upon our shared understanding of how we deliver Windows 10 updates and security experiences that help ensure the ongoing safety of Windows customers.”

Users will likely not notice any difference with their Windows installations, but Microsoft shareholders can breathe more easily knowing that a potential repeat of the infamous Netscape antitrust case is not going to happen anytime soon.

Photo: levanrami/Flickr