Wouldn't this draw anti-trust battles? Could be -- it sounds like a possible "tie-out" (a variation on tie-in). AFAIK There haven't been many tie-out cases, bu

Wouldn't this draw anti-trust battles? Could be -- it sounds like a possible "tie-out" (a variation on tie-in). AFAIK There haven't been many tie-out cases, but as antitrust litigator George Gordon [1] put it a few years back, "The term “tie out” is often used to refer to arrangements in which a license prohibits a licensee from dealing in and/or developing competing, noninfringing technologies. [Footnote omitted] Such arrangements have been found to be intellectual property misuse and could form the basis for an antitrust claim as well." [2] If MS were to do something like this, I imagine Gary Reback [3], its nemesis in previous antitrust battles, would be all over it .... [1] http://www.dechert.com/george_gordon/ http://www.dechert.com/george_gordon/ [2] http://www.dechert.com/library/Analyzing%20IP%20License%20-%20GGordon%205-02.PDF#page=9 http://www.dechert.com/library/Analyzing%20IP%20License%20-%... [3] http://www.garyreback.com/garyreback.html http://www.garyreback.com/garyreback.html