California - Microsoft Needs More Watching

The Attorney General for the state of California, Jerry Brown, wants a federal court to extend the terms of a previous consent decree which is set to expire on November 12, 2007 as reported by the LA Times. It seems there is some fear that once the court order expires, that Microsoft could lash out at computer and software vendors who have opted to place non-Microsoft stuff on their systems. It would appear that Microsoft because of its dominance in the marketplace, still needs watching so they have a problem playing well with others.

The artcile goes on to say:

Expiring this fall is a key section designed to stop Microsoft from retaliating against computer makers that bundle competing software products on new personal computers.

Among other things, the decree established a procedure for court-appointed officials to investigate any complaints from computer makers that Microsoft treated them differently if they didn’t install its products on PCs.

The landscape has changed since Microsoft was found to have abused its monopoly power in computer operating systems. The company faces serious competitive threats from Google Inc. and other Internet powerhouses that weren’t on the horizon when the case was settled. And many computer makers install products from such Microsoft rivals as RealNetworks Inc.

But one thing hasn’t changed: Microsoft continues to dominate the world of desktop computing, both with its operating system and with smaller programs that typically come pre-installed.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who is overseeing the case, said this year that she didn’t want last-minute objections to the end of the restrictions. So Microsoft’s foes aren’t waiting until November to voice their concerns.

Brown declined to reveal specifics about what his legal objection would say. But he said, “It appears that things have not changed all that much” in terms of Microsoft’s power in the marketplace.

So what do you think? Does Microsoft still need watching?

Complete article here.

Comments welcome.

[tags]microsoft, california, google, brown, court, [/tags]