The Microsoft Antitrust Story

One of the most important examples of the Microsoft antitrust law in the business world is the US and Microsoft. In this case, the US insists that business practices adopted by Microsoft create unfair and dominant markets, making them a strong monopolist. Meanwhile, Microsoft claims that its success has been unjustly punished. This case is important as it will have a major impact on the economy, other large companies, competitors, consumers and Microsoft shareholders.

In 1998, the US Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the Antimonopoly Act against Microsoft. In a series of examples, the most shocking thing is the Microsoft Windows license policy. In other words, computer manufacturers preinstalled on any computer need to pay a license fee to each computer they pay, regardless of Windows. Whether pre-installed complaints first proved that Microsoft achieved monopoly power in the PC operating system market. Then it details a lot of this abuse of power promised by Microsoft and seeks relief to contain it.

In 1997, Netscape, Sun Microsystems, and Novell persuaded the Department of Justice to file an antitrust lawsuit claiming Microsoft monopolized the company. The problem is that the consumers of Microsoft products are satisfied, the software is cheap, the products are of high quality, and the technology industry has invested billions of dollars in research and development is. Now it may be difficult to imagine, but for some time there was nothing like free software. When Microsoft began adding audio software and Internet browsers to the Windows operating system, companies like Netscape have noticed that they are charging for the same products they themselves provided for free by Microsoft.

Normally, when most people hear the word "antitrust" they think of monopoly. One of the most famous antitrust litigation in recent memory, Microsoft (MSFT) was convicted of anti-competitive monopoly by forcing its own web browser on a computer with a Windows operating system It is included. Combine the two products: If the monopoly dominates the market share of one product but wishes to acquire the market share of another product, link the dominant product sales to the second product can do. As a result, customers of the second product are obliged to purchase unnecessary or unwanted items, and violate the Antimonopoly Act.