米国司法省の発表に対するラルフ・ネーダーグループの声明

STATEMENT BY RALPH NADER DOJ'S MICROSOFT ACTION

FMI 202.387.8030

Today's action by DOJ is a welcome first step for consumers.

The Consumer Project on Technology recently circulated a letter about the browser issue on the Internet, which can be seen from http://www.cptech.org (no period). Over 1,500 computer users and high tech businesses urged the Department of Justice to take steps that could prevent Microsoft from using anticompetitive practices to monopolize the Browser market, and dominating this important platform for Internet publishing.

This is an extremely important issue. Microsoft is seeking to monopolize the browser market, and use this monopoly to create an unlevel playing field in a wide range of Internet applications and services, including electronic commerce and Internet publishing.

DOJ should prohibit the Browser from being bundled with the Microsoft operating system, and seek remedies which prohibit Microsoft from pursuing its announced plans of integrating its browser with Windows 98. DOJ did not address the issue of predatory pricing of the browser, and this too is important. We look forward to further DOJ initiatives regarding Microsoft.

Ralph Nader and Essential Information are organizing a two day Appraising Microsoft conference in Washington, DC on November 13 and 14, 1997. The program for that conference is on the Internet at URL(http://www.appraising-microsoft.org/)

For more information, contact Ralph Nader or James Love at 202.387.8030