Judge Jackson

* I hope readers are as outraged as I am: U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson’s June 7 ruling against Microsoft was ridiculous and shortsighted. Instead of stifling innovation, as the government has contended, the reality is that Microsoft has encouraged innovation. Everything it has done has been miles ahead of previous software and operating systems; Word is far superior to WordPerfect, Windows to DOS. And now Jackson wants to tell this country that Microsoft has stifled innovation? It embodies innovation.

And splitting up this great company would set innovation back. This country must stay competitive on the global technology market at the beginning of the 21st century, and Microsoft, if left untouched, can contribute greatly to that effort. What is the irony? The government’s efforts to preserve innovation by breaking apart Microsoft instead will stifle innovation. Jackson was clearly wrong in siding against a truly great company.

MICHAEL YOUNG

Playa del Rey

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With all the talk about an automatic reversal of Judge Jackson’s ruling in the Microsoft case, one wonders if anyone with the kind of money, power and influence of Bill Gates should be given immunity from ethical and legal considerations and save the taxpayers a few dollars. If justice is to be denied anyway, at least we can economize so that we can have more money to support global monopolies.

DAVID PALMER

Costa Mesa