If Gates Loses, Then What?

As trustbusters build their case against Microsoft, speculation rages about the possible remedies

When federal prosecutors asked John D. Rockefeller for financial data in the suit that broke up Standard Oil, his lawyer's response was brief and to the point: "I'll see you in hell first." Microsoft hasn't been that dismissive of its own high-profile antitrust suit, but it's come close. Vice chairman Steve Ballmer declared, "To heck with Janet Reno," last year. And earlier this month a supremely self-assured Bill Gates told a meeting of 2,000 Microsoft shareholders that "the facts simply don't support the government's claim."

But as the Justice Department begins Week Six of its hard-hitting case, Microsoft's blithe confidence is...

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