“At risk is the EU’s ability to regulate the high tech industry,” says Reuters.
“The decision by the 13-judge Grand Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Luxembourg will determine whether the European Union’s executive arm ruled properly in 2004 that Microsoft used its near-monopoly Windows system to push rivals out of the marketplace. Competitive products must perch on that platform.
Companies around the world are waiting for a decision that could cut into the Commission’s power, as it considers antitrust cases and complaints involving Microsoft, Intel, Qualcomm, Rambus and others.”
Maybe the time has come for government oversight of high-tech antitrust issues to be reviewed — or even limited. The tech industry is ruled by the laws of distruptive technology. What is a monopoly today is made irrelevant tomorrow. As long as government regulation doesn’t interfer with technology innovation, the market is well-equipped to work out many of these issues on their own. Then again, things like Google vs. Microsoft in the courts does make for some entertaining news stories.
