IP: Replies to DoJ's Joel Klein and breaking up Microsoft

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 08:54:28 -0400
> To: farber () cis upenn edu, ip-sub-1 () majordomo pobox com
> From: Will Rodger <jns-rodger () home net>
>
>
> Lee McKnight wrote:
>
>
>
> > > Those counting on Bush to pull Microsoft out of the fire are again 
> > > forgetting
> > > history - the Reagan White House would not touch the IBM or AT&T cases 
> > > for fear of
> > > the repercussions, and instead delegated to the DOJ antitrust chief to 
> > > transform
> > > the telecoms and computer industries. For AT&T, a sword through the firm 
> > > was the
> > > instrument of choice; for IBM, only the threat was needed to gain the 
> > > desired
> > > result. Want to bet that a Bush administration would not act the same as
> > > Reagan's?
>
>
> What the next administration does isn't especially important.
>
> The 19 states continue to press their point. Now, the case is essentially 
> over; the appeals process, though lengthy, takes insignificant manpower by 
> comparison.
>
> The states are more than capable of seeing this case through to the end, 
> regardless of what DOJ does now or in the future. The only mystery is how 
> it plays out in the courts.
>
> Will Rodger