[Am-info] Legal monopoly?

[Erick Andrews]

On 30 Apr 2002 13:16:12 -0400, Sujal Shah wrote:

>On Tue, 2002-04-30 at 06:10, John Poltorak wrote:
>[SNIP]
>> This is truly scary, as it gives Microsoft the right to leverage all their 
>> existing monopolies to establish themselves in new markets and 
>> systematically take them over as well.
>> 
>
>Repeat after me: Monopolies are not illegal.
>
>It is, however, illegal to leverage a monopoly "to establish themselves
>in new markets" as you put it.  Just because the monopoly exists doesn't
>make it illegal or legal.  In fact, I'm not even sure you can call a
>monopoly illegal or legal... I mean, it is or it isn't.
>
>The legality is in how you got it and how you use it.
>

Yes, and to put a finer point on it, when the enterprise became a monopoly, 
it must then operate by special rules, those laid out in the antitrust laws.  
Or become a "regulated monopoly" like public utilities.

-- 
Erick Andrews