Microsoft has had a couple of though months since July last year, when Judge Thomas Jackson ordered the company to break up in two. However, since the beginning of this year things have just looked better for Microsoft.
The election of George Bush, who is against a break-up, has made Microsoft s situation better. However, it was on the 26th of February, when the case was heard by the appeal court, that things really turned in Microsoft s favour. First of all the court had appointed some time to discuss Judge Jackson s conclusions. Secondly, they wanted to evaluate Judge Jackson s comments to reporters in order to see if the trial had been conducted fairly. Finally, they wanted to look at Judge Jackson s solution of breaking Microsoft in two and see if this was the best solution.
After a two day hearing, the appeal court regarded many of Judge Jackson s conclusions as wrong. Moreover, they were not convinced that Judge Jackson s solution of breaking-up the company was the best solution. After all these hearings it seems like Microsoft does not have to break up. Some people even suggest that Microsoft could win the case. Although it looks better than ever for Microsoft, it is not the court that has the final word in Microsoft s future, the companies future is only decided by the market alone.
