The ruling came days after settlement talks broke down the company and government lawyers, but both sides left the door open to an agreement Monday. If no agreement is reached, Appeals Judge Thomas Jackson will begin considering what penalty to impose. A decision could be rendered as early as this summer. An appeal of the judge's decision could take years, which would effectively neutralize any penalty handed down. The numerous states also involved in the lawsuit against Microsoft can also seek penalties under their individual anti-competition regulations.
Technology is the most rapidly expanding field in the business world today.
It does not seem prudent that government officials should be regulating the way in which innovation is delivered. While keeping fair market opportunities is something the Clinton administration has worked to ensure, such restrictions interfere with the evolution of progress. The country and the future in general are better served by letting these innovators chart their own path. Let the free market philosophers reign, in the name of the betterment of tomorrow.