June 22, 1999: Microsoft Not a Monopoly Because of Apple

Every one hates a monopoly, well any monopoly except the iPod/iTunes store. Monopolistic companies know they are disliked and while they might like to tell everyone to bite off they can't, blatant power abusing monopolies are nominally illegal.

Microsoft certainly fit the old a monopoly abusing their power, what with all the "you gotta bundle Explorer" and "can't bundle Netscape" threats. Naturally Microsoft saw things a bit differently, to hear Microsoft tell the story they were competing daily for their very existence.

Microsoft's arguments took a turn towards the absurd when they argued in Federal Court that they were not a monopoly and cited Apple computer as a legit competitor this week in 1999.