The Microsoft trial the Pro an Cons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Microsoft trial the Pro an Cons - Essay Example Microsoft countered that innovation and competition were not unlawful, and that the browser and the operating system were inseparable as the browser was not a separate product but a feature of the operating system. Microsoft purported to demonstrate this in court by showing a video of the sluggish performance and increase in errors that would occur if the browser was removed from the product. The DOJ submitted evidence to show that the browser and operating system were separable. They also pointed out that it was possible to obtain a standalone version of the browser, for example for the Macintosh operating system. Although Microsoft argued that the browser was being provided free, the DOJ adduced that the costs of the browser's development were incorporated into the cost of the operating system, and was partly responsible for the relatively high cost of the operating system. Microsoft further argued that the fact that the industry was unregulated had meant faster development, lower prices and more choice for consumers. This argument was echoed by other commentators (see Browne, 2001). However the manner in which the browser is integrated with the operating system means that even when a consumer prefers to use an alternative product the default browser would be Microsoft's. It was not possible for the consumer to backward engineer this, firstly because of the restrictions in the end user license agreement and secondly because most consumers would not know how to go about doing so. Hence in reality they were being forced to use Microsoft's browser whether they wished to or not (Chin, 2004). Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson held that Microsoft were in breach of both sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and ordered that Microsoft should separate the browser and other applications from the operating system. However Microsoft appealed and Judge Jackson's decision was overturned by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals on the basis that since the Judge had given media interviews he had not retained his objectivity. The DC Circuit Court of Appeal remanded the case to be reheard on a reduced scope of liability. Ultimately the DOJ and Microsoft agreed to a settlement whereby Microsoft would provide its Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to third parties and set up a Technical Committee of 3 persons to oversee this for compliance. Despite opposition that this was no more than a slap on the wrist, the US Appeals court unanimously accepted this settlement and Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly directions. In an interview after the ruling a disappointed Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly said Microsoft "not only has been ruled a monopolist, they are now a protected monopolist. That's a very dangerous thing." Reilly said the case demonstrates that "our antitrust laws are not effective in protecting consumers," especially in the realm of high technology (quoted in Krim, 2004) All software companies benefit from Microsoft's 'victory' to the consumer's

FRANCE -RELIGION,FAMILY STUCTURE, AND TRADITIONS OF RELIGION AND Essay

FRANCE -RELIGION,FAMILY STUCTURE, AND TRADITIONS OF RELIGION AND FAMILY - Essay Example It is a nation which has influenced the cultures, movements, religious traditions, and social factors of other nations, especially the countries of Europe. In this presentation, a reflective analysis of the religion, family structure, and traditions of religion and family etc of France is undertaken which helps one in comprehending the culture and communication styles of this specific country in detail. In a profound understanding of the religion in France, it becomes lucid that there are few other nations which have as rich and varied a religious and intellectual life and history as France. It is a country with religious freedom and thought in virtue of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in the year 1789. Though Roman Catholicism is the religion of a majority of French people, it has lost its status as a state religion since the glorious French Revolution in 1789. In fact, France has numerous religions and this country allows its people to follow whatever religion they choose. That is to say, France is a secular country which encourages freedom of thought and religion, including agnosticism and atheism. It is also essential to comprehend that France is a nation with great religious tradition and history and it has been at the forefront in several of the religious movements of the world in general and of the Europe in particular. â€Å"Few nations have as rich and varied a religious and intellectual life and history as France. During the medieval period France was the most populous Christian kingdom, and during the Reformation France continued to be at the forefront of religious ferment. From the seventeenth century to the present this once-Christian nation has been at the forefront of modern science and the development of nonreligious society†¦ What has made the French world of ideas more important recently has been the confrontation between