If you thought this was the unthinkable think again - Bill Gates didn't rule out a Microsoft breakup as a resolution in its antitrust battle with the government when he was asked about it on a television interview Wednesday.
Gates told Good Morning, America he'd consider any kind of resolution to the case, in which federal judge Thomas Penfield Jackson found Microsoft had abused monopoly power to harm consumers and competitors alike almost two weeks ago. All that remains is a finding on whether Microsoft broke the law.
"I don't see how a lot of things that are being discussed would benefit consumers (and) that's what this all comes down to in the final analysis," Gates said in the interview.
We are very curious about any sort of resolution that could come along. We'll sit and be willing to discuss that. People who speculate about penalties are really off the mark at this point."
The "any sort of resolution" comment went beyond even what he'd been quoted as saying earlier this week in Time. The ABC interview was conducted by remote connection from the Comdex trade convention in Las Vegas as a follow-up to the Time interview. In that interview, Gates refused to rule out a Microsoft breakup to settle the antitrust case. And the Justice Department plus nineteen states would have to agree on any settlement.
According to Wired, other firms could use Jackson's findings in their own suits against Microsoft. And if the judge ends up ruling Microsoft did break the law, he would hold further proceedings before handing down remedies, the magazine says, from a breakup to less dramatic measures.
