Re: Company, government eyeing deal?

[Wandered Inn <esoteric@denali.atlnet.com>]

Doug Masson wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 10 Mar 1999, Mitch Stone wrote:
> 
> >
> > What I've feared all along, and what I've convinced myself is more likely
> > now then ever, is an essentially voluntary breakup. I suspect it will be
> > very difficult for the DoJ to maintain a firm grip the details in the
> > ways they must, and as you suggest. I'd expect all of their carefully
> > cultivated political and legal capital to evaporate in a flash. To see
> > this happen, all Gates would need to do is announce publicly their
> > willingness to break up the company to settle the suit. Then they get to
> > do it about 99% their way.
> >
> > The only real question is: does the Microsoft leadership have the nerve
> > to lay that card on the table?
> 
> The DoJ doesn't have to agree to an MS offer to settle. Politically, a
> settlement might be more expedient but not preordained I don't think. One
> thing this trial has done is to ruin MSs credibility (such as it was) in a
> big way. The DoJ could go a long way toward resisting political
> pressures with a simple argument that runs along the lines of: "A company
> that would offer a doctored tape as evidence to a court of law cannot be
> trusted to administer its own remedy to its repeated and systematic
> antitrust violations."

I don't know.  I'm truly concerned that if MS proposes an offer, there
will be tremendous pressure from Microsoft supporters as well as 'small
govnernment' folks to accept.

> 
> ---Doug

--
Until later: Geoffrey		esoteric@denali.atlnet.com

You mean you paid MONEY for Service Pack '98????