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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,  

                  Plaintiff,

                  v.

PRIMESTAR, INC., et al.,

                  Defendant.


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Civil No.: 1:98CV01193 (JLG)

Filed: June 29, 1998



PLAINTIFF'S NOTICE OF DISMISSAL AS TO GE AMERICOM, INC.

Plaintiff United States of America, pursuant to Rule 41(a)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, hereby dismisses all causes of action in the complaint as to GE Americom, Inc. ("GE Americom") without prejudice. GE Americom has filed neither an answer to the complaint nor a motion for summary judgment as to these claims, and no proceedings or discovery have been undertaken as to these claims.

The government named GE Americom as a defendant to Count One (Clayton Act § 7) and Count Three (Sherman Act § 1) in recognition of the rule concerning the compulsory joinder of a party "that claims an interest relating to the subject of the action and is so situated that the disposition of the action in the person's absence may . . . as a practical matter impair or impede the person's ability to protect that interest." Fed. R. Civ. P. 19(a)(2)(i). As an original signatory to the Asset Acquisition Agreement challenged in this action, defendant GE had such an interest and the government presumed that they would seek to protect that interest by participating in these proceedings. GE Americom has now irreovocably denied any intention of participating in this action to protect this interest (See Motion Of Defendant GE American Communications, Inc. To Dismiss The Complaint As To It For Failure To State A Claim, filed June 17, 1998), and GE Americom's presence in the action is not necessary in order for the Court to afford complete relief on the claims in the complaint. In filing this motion for voluntary dismissal as to GE, plaintiff does not concede the validity of any of GE's arguments concerning the legal sufficiency of the allegations of the complaint.


            Respectfully submitted



                       

FOR PLAINTIFF UNITED STATES:

_______________/s/________________
James R. Wade
D.C. Bar No. 412538
Trial Attorney
Department of Justice
Antitrust Division
Telecommunications Task Force
1401 H Street, N.W., Suite 8000
Washington, D.C. 20530
(202) 514-5621

DATED: June 29, 1998


CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing PLAINTIFF'S NOTICE OF DISMISSAL AS TO GE AMERICOM, INC. were served by hand and/or first-class U.S. mail, postage prepaid, this 29th day of June, 1998 upon each of the parties listed below:





Theodore C. Whitehouse
WILLKIE FARR & GALLAGHER
Three Lafayette Centre
1155 21st Street. N.W., Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20036-3384
(202) 328-8000
Counsel for PRIMESTAR, Inc.

Robert D. Joffe
CRAVATH, SWAINE & MOORE
Worldwide Plaza
825 Eighth Avenue
New York, New York 10019
(212) 474-1000

and

R. Bruce Beckner
FLEISCHMAN AND WALSH, L.L.P.
1400 Sixteenth Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
Counsel for Time Warner Entertainment
Company, L.P.

Timothy O'Rourke
DOW, LOHNES & ALBERTSON
1200 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. Suite 800 Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 776-2716
Counsel for Cox Enterprises, Inc.

William J. Kolasky
WILMER, CUTLER & PICKERING
2445 M Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037-1420
(202) 663-6059
Counsel for MediaOne Group

Daryl A. Libow
SULLIVAN & CROMWELL
1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20006-5805
(202) 956-7500

and

Yvonne S. Quinn
SULLIVAN & CROMWELL
125 Broad Street
New York, New York 10004
(212) 558-5736

and

Elizabeth S. Ladner
SABIN, BERMANT & GOULD, L.L.P.
350 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
(212) 692-4400
Counsel for Newhouse Broadcasting Corporation

                    Joe Sims
JONES, DAY, REAVIS & POGUE
1450 G Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005-2088
(202) 879-3939
Counsel for TCI Satellite Entertainment, Inc.
and Tele-Communications, Inc.

Ronan P. Harty
DAVIS, POLK & WARDWELL
450 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017
(212) 450-4905
Counsel for Comcast Corporation

David J. Saylor (BY HAND)
HOGAN & HARTSON
555 13th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004
(202) 637-5600
Counsel for GE American Communications,Inc.

Lloyd Constantine
CONSTANTINE & PARTNERS
477 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022
(212) 350-2700
Counsel for The News Corporation Limited

Carl S. Nadler
JENNER & BLOCK
601 Thirteenth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 639-6055 (main)

and

Thomas F. O'Neil III
Adam H. Charnes
MCI Communications Corporation
1133 19th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 736-6093
Counsel for MCI Communications Corp.




              

_______________/s/________________
James R. Wade
Counsel for Plaintiff