CSE Applauds Supreme Court Microsoft Decision

Today, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a full and open appeals process for the government’s landmark antitrust suit against Microsoft. Citizens for a Sound Economy has maintained that American consumers will reap the greatest benefit from the rejection of a request by the Department of Justice to expedite Microsoft’s appeal of Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson’s controversial ruling.

The case will be heard in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals where the reality of a rapidly changing software marketplace will be examined in light of the controversial breakup plan in Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson’s earlier ruling.

A radical breakup – and associated regulatory controls – would bring harm to consumers as well as the entire software marketplace. The District of Columbia Court of Appeals provides a venue to fully demonstrate the economic benefits of Microsoft’s innovation to the software marketplace.

“Today’s decision opens the door for a presentation of the whole story,” said CSE Director of Regulatory Policy Erick Gustafson. “While no evidence has been shown in the lower courts that consumers were harmed, a draconian punishment was handed down. We expect to see substantial doubt cast on the lower court ruling if it even survives intact.”