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"Microsoft Corp. developed policies stressing the systematic destruction of internal e-mails and other documents crucial to lawsuits it has faced in recent years, a California software company alleges. Burst.com, in court papers unsealed this week, also accuses Microsoft of destroying e-mails crucial to Burst's lawsuit against the software giant even after the trial judge ordered it to retain the documents... The motion mentions an e-mail on Jan. 23, 2000, in which Jim Allchin, a Microsoft senior vice president, told the Windows Division to purge e-mails every 30 days: 'This is not something you get to decide. This is company policy... Do not archive your mail. Do not be foolish. 30 days.'"

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http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/technology/story/1833131p-9730704c.html