Overturning the Microsoft breakup is a victory for taxpayers and consumers alike
WASHINGTON- Today, the court-ordered breakup of Microsoft Corporation has been overturned on appeal. The appeals court has reversed the decision made by Judge Penfield Jackson of the DC District Court to divide the Microsoft Corporation into smaller entities, on the premise that Microsoft was attempting to monopolize the computer software market.
Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, issued the following statement on the announcement:
“I am pleased to see that this portion of the trial is finally over. No longer will American taxpayers be wasting millions of dollars in a ridiculous case brought on by Microsoft\’s competitors. The Clinton-Gore Administration recklessly sought this lawsuit to the detriment of the high-tech industry, taxpayers, and investors.
“Polls show that upwards of 60% of Americans thought the federal government should not have broken up Microsoft. Now that the case is over and the Bush Administration has indicated its disdain for these kinds of tactics, companies like Microsoft can get back into the business of innovating and creating better products for consumers, and not wasting valuable resources on litigation.
“Competition means creating better goods and offering superior services to consumers. Once government gets out of the business of stifling progress and tying the hands of corporations, consumers – rather than bureaucrats and judges – will once again pick the winners and losers on Wall Street. It’s high time we took the reigns off the high-tech industry and encouraged companies to create new competitive products.”