Bush Administration Stops Microsoft Breakup

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that it had been instructed by the Bush Administration to cease its drive to break up Microsoft, which has already been found guilty of violating U.S. anti-trust law in a complaint filed by the Federal Government and 19 states. See the BBC or CNN for more. It isn't clear what wristslap, errr, remedy the Justice Department will seek instead. Update: 09/06 15:21 PM GMT by M : Declan McCullagh of Wired notes: "The text of the DOJ announcement is here. Wired News has an article. Also, the DOJ says a 'Senior Antitrust Division Official' will brief reporters at the department's DC headquarters at 11:30 am ET, so look for some followup stories from that."

Comments

and I thought MY bank was bad

[ferat]

Certainly took MS's checks long enough to clear...

And Microsoft's comment is...

[The Slashdolt]

"All your presidents are belong to us!"

Re:lost vote .. As if he was going to get mine..

[ackthpt]

After trying to scrap the ICBM treaty...

In some ways this would be like FDR addressing congress on December 8, 1941, "Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

We will therefore abandon Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the Philippines, and all of our bases in the Pacific and leave it to the japanese as a reward for their initiative and innovative spirit, but leave them with a stern warning not to invade Texas."

From Wired: Instead, the government said, it would seek to impose severe regulations on what the world's largest software company may and may not do in the marketplace.

What this translates to:

May bundle and give products which are the sole source of income, and thus drive out of business, no more than 35 companies per year.

May not bundle and provide free of cost any of the following: oil, natural gas, lumber, minerals or mineral ores.

May not give more than $500 M^H^H^H^H^H$1 billion per annum to the Republican Party, conservative think tanks, and special shadowy organizations which shall remain nameless.

May not give more than $10.00 per annum to any parties other than those affiliated with the Republican Party, unless they have a popular, but nutty candidate which is competing in an upcoming election and may draw away votes from a party which will be remain nameless.

The Microsoft CEO may not spend more than 3 consecutive nights in the Lincoln Bedroom.

May not include less than 64,000 bugs per major release.

Will release a special W. version of Word with a spell checker which forbids use of words over 7 letters or 2 syllables in length.

Microsft products shall be distributed to all enemies of the USA, free of cost, so that we shall know of their weaknesses.

Should Microsoft be found in violation of any* of these conditions, the CEO will be sent to bed without dessert and grounded to his multimillion dollar mansion for one week of his choosing.

* Excepting the oil and gas provisions, under which punishment shall consist of the Microsoft CEO briefly discovering the resting place of James Hoffa, Sr.