Case on government intervention....ironic to say the least:
AOL chief wants neutral but cooperative government
By Yukari Iwatani
CHICAGO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The chairman and chief executive officer of America Online Inc.(NYSE: AOL), the world's largest Internet service provider, said Wednesday the government should listen to technology companies and resist the temptation to dictate public policy on matters concerning technology businesses.
Steve Case, chairman and CEO of Dulles, Va.-based AOL, predicted that public and private policy regarding technology will become more blurred in the future and encouraged the government and the industry to cooperate with each other. His prediction was part of a speech to members of Chicago Communications, a nonprofit group that supports the advancement of communications.
His remarks came only days after a federal judge ruled that software giant Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) wields monopoly power and hurts consumers.
"Private industry is going to have to be more pro-active, more forward looking and more willing to shoulder the responsibility of developing policies that protect consumers and maximize choice," Case said. "Government will have to be more willing to listen and to address industry concerns and resist the temptation to dictate solution."
Case also said government policy should be neutral.
"The new medium should be given a command to succeed or fail on its own strength and weakness. It doesn't need advantages nor does it need disadvantages," he said.
When asked how the Microsoft ruling will affect AOL, which is estimated to have a 50 percent share of the Internet connectivity market, Case told Reuter that "it's hard to speculate. It depends on how it gets resolved."
Case also denied AOL had a similar monopoly in its own market.
"We're in a much more competitive market," Case said. "There are 6,000 service providers that we compete with ... so there's far more consumer choice. They pick AOL because they want it, not because it's the only one that's offered." |
