Microsoft Antitrust Case

Antitrust Practices and Market Power

Antitrust case: 2001 antitrust Microsoft settlement

Microsoft Windows is such a ubiquitous piece of software, it is virtually impossible to imagine using a computer without it. Even though many people dislike the system, to function in contemporary life requires most students and workers to be familiar with the product. This lack of de facto choice has led Microsoft to become the subject of numerous antitrust lawsuits, the longest and most extensive of which involved its built-in Internet browser, Internet Explorer. The government alleged that by bundling IE into Microsoft Windows, it subjected other browsers to unfair competitive practices and limited consumer choice. During the lawsuit: Microsoft contended "that it, and it alone, should be the arbiter of what new software is bundled into its Windows operating system, the equivalent of the central nervous system on 90% of personal computers. Besides, Microsoft contends,...
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