Prosecutors suing Apple in a major new antitrust case have drawn parallels to the landmark 1998 case against Microsoft, suggesting that the Microsoft case paved the way for Apple's growth and dominance in the tech industry. The government's arguments against Apple are expected to reference the legal precedent set by the Microsoft case, which accused Microsoft of creating a monopoly through its operating systems and stifling competition from companies like Netscape and Apple.
The Microsoft case was a complex and lengthy legal battle that initially sought to break up the company into separate entities for its operating system and software production. However, after a series of appeals, a settlement was reached in 2001 that required Microsoft to share parts of its source code with third parties to encourage more development. Despite the settlement, Microsoft remained a major player in the tech industry.
