[Am-info] Monopolies can be legal

[John Poltorak]

On Wed, May 01, 2002 at 10:13:52AM -0400, Joe Moore wrote:
 
> > 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".

Since the penalty is set to nothing, and Microsoft will continue behaving 
as they always have, and the case will not be revisited, this is exactly 
the same as saying the monopoly is now legal. To all intents and purposes 
the Anti-trust laws have been revoked by the courts actions. 
 
> And this is a very bad precedent to set.

It makes a complete mockery of the law.
 
> --Joe

-- 
John