On 5 October 2011, Judge Robert L. Wilkins of the US District Court for the District of Columbia approved the settlement that Google Inc. reached with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in July 2011 over its acquisition of flight information software company ITA Software, Inc (ITA). To ensure ongoing competition among airfare comparison and booking websites, Google agreed to license flight information software to competitors, arbitrate disputes over licenses, establish an internal firewall, and continue to fund research and development for the software. The settlement will be in effect for five years.