Proposed Remedies 7
Proposed Remedies 7
Many of the remedies, especially the
structural ones, would be put on hold until the appeals process is complete. For
example, if Microsoft is restructured before the appeals are exhausted, and then
the appeal is successful, it would mean two disturbances due to
restructuring—one to tear Microsoft apart, and another to sew it back
together. Also, once the Windows source code is released, it cannot exactly be
taken back; the damage will already be done.
For this reason, and believing the appeals process to be dangerously slow, the DOJ is proposing some weaker yet immediate restrictions on Microsoft's behavior. Among them, Microsoft would publish a price list that would apply to all computer manufacturers, effective immediately. As such, Microsoft would be unable to penalize computer manufacturers for actions that would harm Microsoft's market share, such as loading rival's software on their computers.