MS and Linux

If Microsoft acquires Linux, would it create a monopoly? Please understand what it means to be a monopoly. Consult the textbook. Think about what would happen to Microsoft if it became a monopoly. What has happened to other monopolies in the US.

 

Linux is the same market as MS OS. Linux can be converted other type of OS. So if MS takeovers Linux, MS would completely occupy this OS market.

The antitrust law has been stricter than since before the third merger wave had come. Monopoly had needed to be precluded since the first wave which is created by trustmaker, JP Morgan. However, trustbuster, Theodore Roosevelt regulated this monopoly system.

Now is a time of IT revolution, things are more complicated. The current situation is that a lot of Free Software prevents monopoly from MS OS. MS has MS Office and IE. Other competitors couldn’t enter this market but Free Software enables them to enter the market.

The benefit of the M&A is that Linux is advanced OS system for engineers. This is the only reason why Linux could survive in this OS market. If MS conduct M&A, other competitor would disappear.

Other kinds of market such as food or automobile are also affected by this M&A because they would regard antitrust law is lax.