Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation Applauds South Carolina’s Attorney General Charlie Condon for Withdrawing from Microsoft

“South Carolina’s attorney general, Charlie Condon, has done consumers and taxpayers a great service by withdrawing from the government’s case against Microsoft,” according to Paul Beckner, president of Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation. Commenting on Attorney General Condon’s Dec. 7 announcement, Beckner said, “It’s hard to claim that consumers are being hurt when prices are plummeting and innovation is booming.”

“This case is not about consumers or competition — it is about which corporation has more influence over the government. We should not allow the federal government to pick the winners and losers in any marketplace, especially one that is considered to be the engine of our thriving economy. The Justice Department’s actions will only result in higher prices and fewer innovations for consumers. We urge the attorney generals from the other states that have joined the Justice Department to rethink their positions on this very important issue,” said Beckner.

“The computer industry is characterized by fast-paced change and innovation. There is no doubt that Microsoft is a very aggressive competitor, but the company earned its stature in the industry by providing consumers with what they want at prices they can afford,” said Beckner. “There are a host of other companies offering competing products in the marketplace. Microsoft beat them to the punch, and now some companies are trying to use the government to get what they couldn’t get in the marketplace. Should the government force the Chicago Bulls to give up Michael Jordan because the Bulls are too good?”