Analysis: Microsoft Antitrust Settlement
WinInfo | at | by Mike
As reported previously, Microsoft announced Friday that it had reached a settlement with the United States government in its three-year antitrust case. If approved by the Judge overseeing this case, the settlement will have sweeping ramifications in the computer industry and beyond. But the big issue is whether the settlement effectively punishes Microsoft for its illegal activities and prevents it from continuing such activities in the future. I feel that it fails miserably on the first of these two qualifications, though it appears to satisfy the second. But as with its 1995 consent decree, the text of this settlement--the so-called Final Judgment--contains language that is clearly designed to give Microsoft some wiggle room in the future. Given this, the settlement is a travesty of justice that leaves an illegal monopoly in a position of power, where it can continue harming competitors, partners, and even customers.