Microsoft Corporation's Antitrust Laws
In May of 1998, Microsoft Corporation was charged with violating parts of the Sherman act through a civil antitrust action, which would take place in the district court. This case was brought about by the 20 states of the US and by the District of Columbia. Since Microsoft was such a large corporation, there was a five-day period where they would make certain information confidential to the public in order to protect trade secrets from getting out. “The Microsoft
Corporation violated the nation’s antitrust laws through predatory and anticompetitive behavior and kept “an oppressive thumb on the scale of competitive fortune,” a federal judge ruled today”
(Brinkley, NY Times). Microsoft was creating a monopoly through their software by stifling
the other products, especially Netscape browser. Creating a monopoly with such a large corporation like Microsoft can be incredible harmful to the marketplace and the consumers because there is nothing else for them to use so consumers are forced into buying their products. Microsoft was charged on two different issues, one with creating the monopoly and another with combining one product with another, and both violating provisions of the Sherman Act. They were guilty of this because they tried to block the other competitors from the marketplace by using the two products together and it supported what they were trying to monopolize. I agree that Microsoft should have been charged on both account of violating the Sherman Antitrust Laws because it did seem that they were trying to create a monopoly and force their competitors out of the marketplace.
Consumers were basically forced into buying multiple of Microsoft’s products if they purchased a particular product.
Corporation violated the nation’s antitrust laws through predatory and anticompetitive behavior and kept “an oppressive thumb on the scale of competitive fortune,” a federal judge ruled today”
(Brinkley, NY Times). Microsoft was creating a monopoly through their software by stifling
the other products, especially Netscape browser. Creating a monopoly with such a large corporation like Microsoft can be incredible harmful to the marketplace and the consumers because there is nothing else for them to use so consumers are forced into buying their products. Microsoft was charged on two different issues, one with creating the monopoly and another with combining one product with another, and both violating provisions of the Sherman Act. They were guilty of this because they tried to block the other competitors from the marketplace by using the two products together and it supported what they were trying to monopolize. I agree that Microsoft should have been charged on both account of violating the Sherman Antitrust Laws because it did seem that they were trying to create a monopoly and force their competitors out of the marketplace.
Consumers were basically forced into buying multiple of Microsoft’s products if they purchased a particular product.