[Am-info] Monopolies can be legal

[Joe Moore]

On Wed, May 01, 2002 at 09:11:41AM +0100, John Poltorak wrote:
> On Tue, Apr 30, 2002 at 10:43:23PM -0400, Sujal Shah wrote:
> > So, repeat after me: Monopolies are not illegal. :-)
> 
> Give me an example of a legal monopoly.

Copyright.

> Are you arguing that Microsoft is such an example?

I don't think anyone could argue that Microsoft is a legal monopoly, since
the fact of its illegal status has been found by a federal judge, and 
confirmed by an en-banc appeals court decision.

> My point here is that as a result of a four year Anti-trust trial in which 
> it has been establishhed conclusively that Microsoft has acted as an 
> illegal monopoly, this illegal monopoly has now become become sanctioned  
> because the courts have chosen to allow it to remain intact.

No, the monopoly is still illegal.  However, the penalty for Microsoft 
maintaining an illegal monopoly is set at "nothing".

And this is a very bad precedent to set.

--Joe