States gang up on MSFT, part IV
One area of concern mentioned by several states was Microsoft's requirement
that computer manufacturers set up their machines so that Windows comes up
on the screen when the machine is started, or ''booted up.''
''There's concern about Internet Explorer, but there is also concern about
boot-up restrictions,'' Blumenthal said. Senior Justice Department officials
have cited similar concerns.
Though all of the attorneys general interviewed described a suit as quite likely,
none say they have made a final decision to act. In several of the states,
officials declined to talk about the case.
''We're at a critical stage now; we can't discuss it,'' said an official in the
Illinois attorney general's office.
The other involved states are New York, Ohio, California, Texas, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, West Virginia, Florida and Iowa. The attorneys general are
circulating documents and drafts of the proposed suit among themselves and,
they say, finding it surprisingly easy to decide how to proceed.
''In the Microsoft task force, it's remarkable how well 13 states are working
together,'' said Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. He is chairman of the
Anti-Trust Task Force for the National Association of Attorneys General.
''It's amazing how the same concerns popped up all over the country, crossing
different party lines and different regions of the country,'' Condon said.
If the states do file suit, the action would continue a trend in recent years of
attorneys general banding together in packs to pursue cases in tobacco,
product advertising, telemarketing and other initiatives in consumer protection
-- a job that Washington has seldom embraced with the enthusiasm it has for
other governmental functions.
Of course, there can be political benefits for the state officials, too. All the
attorneys general now involved in the case are elected officials, and many are
up for re-election this year. Harshbarger is running for governor. |
