24932 Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 86 / Friday, May 3, 2002 / Notices

MTC–00007630

From: Rodney Haas

To: Microsoft ATR

Date: 1/2/02 10:56pm

Subject: Microsoft Settlement

To whom this may concern,

Frankly I cannot believe this lawsuit lasted

this long. There is no question that an

excessive and unfair settlement will further

destroy the software business. Microsoft has

been the driving force for bringing the price

of both software and hardware down.

Microsoft not only has not hurt the

consumer, but has radically helped.

You only need to look @ apple as a

comparison. Apple has indeed harmed the

consumer with unreasonably high prices.

Apple has clearly harmed innovation except

for the chosen few. Microsoft has in fact had

open and published interfaces to their

software for years. I have used this interface

many times to extend my vertical market

applications. This has allowed me to add

massive power to my applications without

having to charge my clients.

In closing I would highly suggest that you

focus your energy on something else. While

some of Microsoft’s competitors have been

hurt, must are far to large to even qualify

under the monopoly protections. Companies

like Netscape were clearly not hurt selling for

more than 4 billion dollars. Many other

companies that have gone away, have done

so because of bad UI, marketing and faulty

feature sets.

Rodney Haas

rodneyhaas@hotmail.com

rhaas@directlink.net

MTC–00007631

From: Beckers

To: Microsoft ATR

Date: 1/2/02 10:56pm

Subject: Microsoft Settlement

Dear DOJ et al:

Please help stop the feeding frenzy at

Microsoft and consumers’ expense. Microsoft

delivers fairly sophisticated products at

reasonable prices, and do not manufacture

hardware other than basic peripherals such

as keyboards. We need them creating

superior products to help balance our trade

deficit. Instead, you might want to investigate

‘‘proprietary’’ software products by

companies who really want to prevent the

establishment of industry standards and

protocols.

Rick Becker

California, USA

MTC–00007632

From: Richard Paietta

To: Microsoft ATR

Date: 1/2/02 10:57pm

Subject: The Settlement

Dear Sirs:

This suit should have never been

undertaken in the first place. It was done by

the previous administration for the benefit of

Microsoft’s competition. At no time was the

public hurt or at issue in this case. This

action has cost the taxpayers millions of

dollars for the benefit of a few (e.g. AOL,

Sun, Etc). Not only has this cost the

American taxpayer in dollars that could have

been spent elsewhere it has cause the present

downturn in our economy. DOJ was right in

settling the issue and the remaining 9 states

that are home to Microsoft’s competition

should be forced to settle. This was a case of

bad law and the legal system showing its

worst side. There is no excuse for the Federal

Government having to act as the protector of

Microsoft’s competition. The law was put on

the books for the protection of the public.

The market place in a free economy

determines who stays in business and who

does not. This suit has also cost many of us

who have invested in Microsoft for their

retirement. What do you intend to do to help,

since this has cost many large sums of their

retirement investments. Settle the case and

ask to judge to force a resolution with the

hold out states. It is time that DOJ corrected

the mistakes of the past administration.

Richard L. Paietta

PaiettaR@msn.com

MTC–00007633

From: Babafar@aol.com@inetgw

To: Microsoft ATR

Date: 1/2/02 10:57pm

Subject: Microsoft Settlement

Please settle with Microsoft and end this

litigation. The settlement is fair and

reasonable to all parties. It will be good for

the economy. Thank you.

Marge Ferrari, 135 Westwood Drive,

Novato, CA 94945

MTC–00007634

From: Maverick775@cs.com@inetgw

To: Microsoft ATR

Date: 1/2/02 10:58pm

Subject: microsoft settlement

Please settle this case ASAP. I am very

tired of disgruntled companies who are not

capable of competing on their own trying to

use the courts to further their position in the

world of tough competition. I thought

capitalism is what made us a free enterprise

nation, and competition is what enables the

best of the best to help build this country on

a world wide basis. I still do not understand

why the previous administration wanted to

punish a remarkable company like Microsoft.

Let’s get on with life, stop wasting taxpayers

money and let the best companies win.

That’s what it is all about.

Michael D. Arndt

MTC–00007635

From: Jerome Montez

To: Microsoft ATR

Date: 1/2/02 10:59pm

Subject: Settlement

My opinon on this case is leave private

enterprizes alone the goverment should stay

out of it all they manage to do is drive up

prices for the consumer

MTC–00007636

From: EthelGee@aol.com@inetgw

To: Microsoft ATR

Date: 1/2/02 10:59pm

Subject: Microsoft Settlement

I think the Microsoft settlement is

appropriate and should be enacted.

Ethel Gardner

175 e. 74 st.

New York, N.Y.

MTC–00007637

From: Marx Heller

To: Microsoft ATR

Date: 1/2/02 10:58pm

Subject: Microsoft Settlement

I would like to know who determined that

the break up of Microsoft would be in the

consumers best interest. I would bet it came

from a disgruntled competitor like Netscape.

Surely it could not have come from the same

people that thought that breaking up AT&T

was good for the consumer. I feel that to

penalize Microsoft for continuing to develop

new technology is wrong. It sends a message

to others that may want to develop and

market a product, that if they get too big or

too popular and the competition can no

longer provide an equal quality product for

a competitive price, that someone well sue

them and try to destroy what they have done.

If I am successful, the government will take

away that success. Enough is enough! Why

is it that the courts have recommended a

settlement and Microsoft has agreed to it, that

their are still those that oppose that

settlement. They seem intent on destroying

Microsoft. How much do those people give

back to the people responsible for their

success? How much do they give to charity?

How much? I feel that if Microsoft continues

to come under assault, that the inevitable

result will be less new innovation and new

technology and higher prices to pay for it. I

am sorry, but my idea of the American Way

is not to Pay more for less!

Marx Heller

Williamstown NJ

heller@eticomm.net

I VOTE!!

MTC–00007638

From: Zelia Compton

To: Microsoft ATR

Date: 1/2/02 10:59pm

Subject: Microsoft Settlement

Please settle now.

MTC–00007639

From: Gus407@aol.com@inetgw

To: Microsoft ATR

Date: 1/2/02 11:00pm

Subject: Settlement

In all of this litagation, I have never seen

one consumer come forward and actually

state that the packages that Microsoft

bundled together hurt them. I for one am glad

Microsoft put these programs together on my

computer. If I would have had to go out and

purchase these programs separately, I

probably would not have a computer today.

Thank You;

Gus407@aol.com

MTC–00007640

From: Bruzer703@aol.com@inetgw

To: Microsoft ATR

Date: 1/2/02 11:00pm

Subject: Microsoft Settlement

I am a middle class worker, saving for

retirement...with a fair amount of Microsoft

stock in my portfolio. Ever since the Reno/

Clinton ‘‘Justice’’ Department abused

Microsoft through the courts, I have had my

retirement portfolio abused also. The

settlement has been accepted by DOJ and

Microsoft, our nation’s economy has already