Chris -
If the states bring suit in federal court, as they plan to do, it would be a federally enforced decision, not state by state.
MSFT was way too aggressive in pushing IE but not nearly as aggressive as the case in the press makes it out to be. CPQ and others simply refused to play, and MSFT backed down with them. MSFT needs to play by the same rules as the others in this game - offer incentives and better deals to get what they want.
But MSFT is much less aggressive than Intel at stifling competition. Intel makes MSFT look like a bunch of boy scouts. I think when the DOJ gets into Intel's business practices, as I think they will in the next few months, the current interest in MSFT practices will fade.
I think that the DOJ scrutiny of MSFT was healthy for MSFT and the industry, but they need to move on now. As long as MSFT recognizes that they can only go so far before they get called, they will be a little more careful.
This is a lot like pro sports. A team of nice guys who play by the rules will get creamed, the teams that win are aggressive and push the envelope, intimidate the other teams, but the refs are there to keep it from turning into a free for all. |
