Charles, <<<Sun isn't a monopoly, so different rules apply.>>>
Can someone tell me exactly when Microsoft became a monopoly? Was there a whistle blown announcing the date? Who determines the timing of illegal monopoly acts?
If Microsoft actions are illegal only because they are considered a monopoly, and they were declared a monopoly in the FOF, who is to say that at the time of the alleged infractions, that they were indeed a monopoly. At what point in time did Microsoft attain a monopoly position in operating systems? Did they have a monopoly position with Windows 3.1? Windows 95? Windows 98?
Should a company monitor there market position once they attain dominant market share. Is dominance measured at 50%, 60%, 70% or 80% of the market? Once the company decides that they have crossed the monopoly threshold, do they huddle up and declare that "we now have monopoly power, so no more cutthroat competitive behavior, we must extend a helping hand to our beaten competitors"?
These questions may seem silly, or not. I don't think Microsoft is the only company that competes aggressively in the market place. You may argue that the other companies aren't a monopoly, but then again when does that official monopoly status begin, and who determines it?
By the way, according to Klein and the DOJ, Microsoft has had a monopoly for the past decade. At least that's what Klein declared while gloating after the FOF was announced.
Regards |
