United States v. Microsoft Corp.
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
147 F.3d 935 (1998)
- Written by Nicholas Decoster, JD
Facts
Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft) (defendant) was a leading provider of computer software and related products. After Microsoft established a commanding market share in the market for operating systems, a consent decree was issued in 1995, preventing Microsoft from conditioning the sale of its software on the additional purchase of a separate software product. However, the consent decree allowed Microsoft to sell integrated products, or products with different functionalities that had been combined into a single package. After Microsoft began integrating a web browser called Internet Explorer into its Windows 95 operating system, the United States (plaintiff) brought a complaint against Microsoft, alleging a violation of the consent decree. Specifically, the government argued that Microsoft was employing a tying arrangement that forced purchasers of Windows 95 to use Internet Explorer, thereby providing Microsoft with an unfair advantage in the market for web browsers. The district court issued a preliminary injunction against Microsoft. Microsoft appealed the injunction.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Williams, J.)
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