Novell vs. Microsoft, Again

belmolis writes "As they promised, Novell has filed suit against Microsoft over WordPerfect. Here's the complaint, and here is Microsoft's press release in response. From what I know of the history, it seems very likely that Novell will be able to prove that Microsoft engaged in illegal anticompetitive behavior. Indeed, the complaint cites some of the same acts that figured in the US government case against MS. What isn't so clear to me is how much of the loss of market share they will be able to show was Microsoft's fault, since there seems to be a diversity of opinion regarding the relative quality of WordPerfect and MS Word." Reader tekiegreg points out Reuters' story on the new suit, as carried by Yahoo!.

Comments

Word Perfect for Windows was horrible

[gordgekko]

I don't know if Microsoft engaged in anti-competitive behavior but I do know that Novell probably nailed the coffin shut themselves with Word Perfect for Windows. That early implementation was so horrible switching to Word was an act of self-preservation.

Re:Word Perfect for Windows was horrible

[Geoffreyerffoeg]

But that doesn't make MS's anticompetitive behavior any less illegal: "Well, I murdered him, but he had terminal cancer, so it's not as bad."

Re:Word Perfect for Windows was horrible

[BrookHarty]

Its like telling Ford telling Goodyear that all tires will be 18 inch rims from now on. After Goodyear starts making 18 inch tires, Ford comes out with 21 inch rims and their own tire company.

Then to top it off, they force all dealerships to only sell Ford tires after Goodyear has the new product.

How much more anti-competitive can you get? They forced companies out of business with contracts, false information, and lies. It is business, but they crossed the lines into Anti-competitive territory.

Wordperfect was a superior product...

[Anonymous Coward]

At the time that Novell took over the Wordperfect line, it was a vastly superior product in comparison to Word. WP was very consistent and reacted to various situations with expected behavior...bulleted lists, numbered lists, indentation. It was so much better than Word that is was the defacto word processor of choice for both the legal and medical industries for years to come...mainly because legal and medical documents demanded predictable formatting. Even today I find Word autoformatting in weird or unexpected ways...

-h3dge

It doesn't matter if they can prove it

[yorkpaddy]

It doesn't matter if they can prove it. Microsoft will just write them a check that amounts to less than 1% of their war chest. Microsoft will continue breaking laws because no enforcement technique can control them.

Anticompetitive Behaviour

[Anonymous Coward]

What surprises me most in reading the last few entries, especially given the usual hatred toward MS that most slashdotters share, is the sympathetic view with MS that WordPerfect died simply because it was an inferior product.

Now, this may partially be true, but MS has a documented history of forcing business partners to nullify contracts with companies that make products that could compete with Microsoft's. This is a huge problem, and very easily could lead to the death of a product. Using their contracts with IBM as an example, if MS demands that IBM no longer sell PCs with WordPerfect as the word processor, and threaten to yank all Windows licenses if they do not comply, two things happen: 1. IBM drops WordPerfect out of necessity, given that 95% of desktops run Windows and that IBM cannot sell a PC without it, and 2. Wordperfect dies a quick death. If losing a contract with IBM, which would have guaranteed hundreds of thousands of sales, is not enough, then they die as the same MS strong-arm techniques are applied to other PC manufacturers like Sony, Compaq, HP, Gateway, etc.

The net result? Wordperfect heavily declines by being illegally muscled out of its main business. Then, with no fresh capital, it cannot integrate newer and more innovative features that consumers demand, and eventually dies from being unable to compete. In the end, Microsoft blames a poor product, while in reality illegal and anticompetitive business practices killed it long before.

When will the US government impose a worthwhile and equitable penalty that actually means something to a company with nearly 50 BILLION in cash saved up?

Re:Wasn't WP a monopoly?

[Coryoth]

When I started working at WP, they owned over 90% of the PC Word Processing market.

Doesn't that make it a monopoly? That's the percent Windows had at the time it was considered a monopoly.

Quite possibly they did have an effective monopoly, yes. The key point is that having an effective monopoly is not illegal. Using your monpoly position to unfairly leverage other products - that is what gets you in trouble.

Jedidiah

Re:Business strategy of the FUTURE :)

[GreggBert]

And Word Perfect was still # 1 in certain business sectors like the legal profession for a long time after MS Word appeared. For the longest time, you couldn't swing a dead cat in a law office without hitting someone using Word Perfect. Now, it;s just the opposite.

Why ? I think, in all honesty, it had to do with an ever increasing number of clients and fellow firms sending stuff (attachments) over in MS word format. Eventually that snowball could not be stopped. Why so many users of MS Word ? Look at the PC + Windows + MS Office bundle deals being sold by companies like Dell and Compaq at the time to so many law firms. Word Perfect simply could not compete with that. The question is, were they ALLOWED to compete with that ?