States Lobby for More Microsoft Supervision
Microsoft just can't avoid the hot seat. While it has dodged regulatory and
antitrust bullets here and there, a consortium of six states are now petitioning
the federal courts to
extend
judicial supervision by five years.
The group of six states argued that Microsoft needed more federal judicial
supervision to keep it from annihilating any competition to the Windows juggernaut.
The gang of six, which includes California and Massachusetts, formally requested
a federal judge in Washington to extend the supervisory provisions of the 2002
decree, which are currently scheduled to expire on Nov. 12 of this year.
The feds and Redmondians agreed on the original decree after an appeals court
ruled that Microsoft had indeed acted illegally in its aggressive protection
of its Windows monopoly. If the decree expires as scheduled, Microsoft will
have greater freedom to crush competition from Web-based software, particularly
those competing with its Internet Explorer browser.
Microsoft had no comment on the request for an extension.
Where do you stand on Microsoft's activities -- fair competition or gold medalist
in the antitrust Olympics? File your motion with me at [email protected].
Posted by Lafe Low on September 12, 2007