levy~ If this isn't Frigin A News, I don't know what is....re: MSFT
I wish there were a national poll site (where we could trust the
pollster) that would register our thoughts about this incredible
decision.....Someday, we will know just how much our government HAS
SPENT, and continues to SPEND on this lawsuit at all levels, and it
would be my hope that the American people arise, and finally take some
interest in what is happening in our government. Maybe some of the
folks will want to re-read Atlas Shrugged again...or maybe for the first time!
Another thought....if in fact the government can made this decision, what would stop anyone/company from getting information from any other competitor...ie. the drug manufacturers....if one makes a successful drug, can another drug company have access to it by filing an anti-trust lawsuit??? Or any software manufacturer? Or any law firm in business....can they file a suit and demand access to another law firm's files.....RIGHT???!!!
KLP
go2net.com
Judge Finds Microsoft Broke Antitrust Law
By David Lawsky Apr 3 6:00pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge ruled Monday
that
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O) broke U.S.
antitrust law by abusing its monopoly in personal
computer operating
systems.
District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson said
Microsoft violated
key parts of the Sherman Act on
three of the four main allegations leveled by the
Justice Department and
19 states.
``The court concludes that Microsoft maintained its
monopoly power by
anticompetitive means and
attempted to monopolize the Web browser market,'
Jackson wrote in a
43-page ruling.
The finding is expected to lead to consideration of
penalties to prevent
future violations, remedies that
could include breakup of the software giant.
``Microsoft's anticompetitive actions trammeled the
competitive process
through which the computer
software industry generally stimulates innovations
and conduces to the
optimum benefit of consumers,'
said Jackson.
Microsoft promised to appeal Jackson's ruling and
said it believed the
legal system would ultimately rule
in its favor.
The company's stock, off sharply for the entire day
as investors awaited
Jackson's ruling, was halted just
prior to the release of the findings. The shares
resumed trading at 17:44,
are were trading at $90-7/8.
down $15-3/8.
In findings of fact issued in November last year,
Jackson had already
found that Microsoft's behavior hurt
consumers, computer makers and other companies .
Settlement efforts in the case collapsed Saturday
when a mediator said he
could not bridge wide
differences between the parties after four months of
effort.
While it is legal to gain a monopoly through skill
or luck, it is illegal to use
that power to perpetuate a
monopoly by preventing competitors from springing
up.
Jackson also found that Microsoft tied its Internet
Explorer software to its
Windows operating system to
exclude Netscape's rival product.
But he declined to find that Microsoft's marketing
arrangements with
computer makers and others
amounted to illegal denial of marketing methods to
Netscape, which has
become a part of America
Online Inc. (AOL.N) since the trial began nearly 18
months ago.
Justice Department antitrust chief Joel Klein
praised the ruling. ``The
decision will benefit consumers and
stimulate competition and innovation in the
high-tech industry,' Klein said
in a statement. |
