The Slow Grind of the Law

Reacting to Sun's $1.6 billion settlement of its antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft, some observers believe that Silicon Valley has given up trying to constraing pedatory conduct by Gates & Co. "After two decades of inflamed criticism, many here in the technology sector have come to accept the slowly acquired reality that the legal system can do little to resolve their quarrel with Microsoft," summarizes John Markoff in the New York Times. More on point is this commentary by Alan Saracevic in the San Francisco Chronicle: "Don't kid yourself. These compassionate overtures from Microsoft are signs of benevolent dictatorship. The boys up in Redmond have won the war. Now they're helping the Germans rebuild Berlin."

Mark these words. We haven't seen the end of Microsoft's antitrust battles. It took the government 50 years and three antitrust lawsuits to constrain the power of -- and finally dismantle -- the Bell System. Yes, the law moves slowly. But like the Mounties, they always get their man in the end.

 Posted by glenn