IP: Judge -- Microsoft broke the law!

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

[ it is good to see at least round one over. I am satisfied my 
contribution (and it was a memorable experience)  was not wasted and 
expect that if this is upheld the field will change for the better 
and will , I hope, make a strong and innovative MS also. djf]


Updated 7:19 PM ET April 3, 2000By Lisa M. Bowman and Mary Jo Foley, ZDNet News
Saying that Microsoft Corp. "placed an oppressive thumb on the scale 
of competitive fortune," U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson 
issued a scathing ruling on Monday, finding that the company violated 
federal and state antitrust laws.

Jackson's ruling came after settlement talks between the two sides 
broke down Saturday and U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Posner -- whom 
Jackson appointed to oversee the negotiations -- said the sides were 
too far apart to come to any agreement. The DOJ and 19 states 
attorneys general filed suit against Microsoft in May 1998.

In Monday's ruling, Jackson said Microsoft violated antitrust laws by 
using anti-competitive methods to maintain its market dominance and 
by monopolizing the Web browser market. Jackson also said Microsoft 
illegally tied its browser to Windows in an effort to thwart rival 
Netscape Communications Corp. However, the ruling sides with 
Microsoft on one point, saying the exclusive contracts the software 
giant struck with some companies were not necessarily illegal.

Nevertheless, Jackson lambasted Microsoft's conduct overall, saying 
"but only when the separate categories of conduct are viewed, as they 
should be, as a single well-coordinated course of action does the 
full extent of the violence that Microsoft has done to the 
competitive process reveal itself."

http://news.excite.com/news/zd/000403/19/judge-microsoft