California Takes Issue With Microsoft Settlement Idea

Deepfoo writes: "Note from CNet on the California challenge to Microsoft's attempt to settle the 100 civil cases on file against it by donating equipment. The dissenters will argue that those harmed in the lawsuit aren't getting compensated directly in this way, and that the ploy of donating equipment to schools is a transparent effort to further extend its monopoly. The dissenting California lawyers estimate the actual damages due to Californians alone could be on the order of 3 to 9 billion (wide range, but that's what they've said). Is Microsoft a do-gooder, or up to no good?"

Comments

In Other News..

[jonfromspace]

Firestone announces it will be donating surplus "Wilderness XT" tires to Afghanistan's Northern Alliance, as well as any Goodyear employee involved in R&D or Marketing.

Userfriendly

[Pstrobus]

has already covered this topic fairly well here

"sir, we're a monopoly, we get to set the price"

Not to mention that education is the last Mac stronghold. I just wonder what'll happen in five years when the 'free stuff' runs out. Will MS continue to provide low cost solutions? Didn't think so.

Drug dealers always like to give out free samples

Amazing

[moz711]

I'm still amazed at the pair of brass balls needed to even suggest a settlement like this.
Can you think of any other company that would see flooding the market with their product as a good solution to a monopoly lawsuit? If AT&T had suggested adding free phone lines to schools in reponse to the goverment saying they already had too much control, they would have been laughed out of the court room.

Re:Go Microsoft!

[pyrrho]

>I hope Microsoft wins this battle. The stupid antitrust laws should be repealed anyway. They're over 100 years old!

Hey, so is the whole country... time to close up the tent everyone.

.

Can we all play?

[Ms.Taken]

If this works, maybe I'll try it myself next April:

"Dear IRS, Instead of a check, enclosed please find 800 copies of my latest shareware valued at $40.00 each. I'm sure you'll agree that the benefit to society of making my software available to hundreds of schools serving hundreds of thousands of children far outweighs some petty cash payment."

I could save a fortune this way. Go Microsoft!

Re:Who's been harmed

[zulux]

My personal opinion is that much of the Microsoft bashing goes on for a few reasons:

We bash Microsoft because most of us are computing professionals. I'm sure a lot of McDonald's bashing goes on in kitchens, and a lot of KIA bashing goes on in garages.