[Gllug] SpaceShipOne launch

[Richard Jones]

On Mon, Jun 21, 2004 at 01:31:31PM +0100, Ashley Evans wrote:
> This is just another reason to back up my view that companies should be 
> regulated in such a way that they are only allowed to enter one area of 
> business. Microsoft should stick to computer software. Supermarkets 
> should stick to SELLING food, not chemically-condidtioned cheap crap or 
> credit cards. At the very least there should be laws against compaines 
> provideing services or products in areas where the is potential for 
> conflict of interest. A case high-lighted by coke(schweppes - goggle 
> reveals this is now Cadbury Schweppes (it just gets worse)) forceing a 
> video shop owner to stop selling Buxton water and replace it with their 
> rather controversial, failed "pure" water Dasani[0]. Needless to say, 
> the video shop is located in Buxton itself.

This isn't going to fly.

Remember first of all that most companies are small companies.  In
fact most companies are shops and one/two-man enterprises.  If I'm
running a failing computer software company 'registered' as a computer
software company, am I no longer allowed to go into any other line of
business?  Or perhaps I have to 'reregister' as a maker of art and
crafts, and immediately cease selling software?  Who decides the
categories?  Our wonderfully in-touch PM with all his technical
know-how?

The Windows Media Player (WMP) case is adequately covered by existing
competition law.  In fact Microsoft have been found guilty in the US
already of breaking competition laws on a related issue (browsers),
and the EU have ruled that they're guilty of breaking competition law
on the WMP issue, but the EU case obviously has more time to play out.

Ordinarily when a person is found guilty, some sort of meaningful
sentence is imposed upon them - eg. they go to prison, pay a fine, or
do some restitution to the community.  However, companies often get
away with token fines, particularly for serious offenses like damaging
the environment (which in my opinion should result in the directors
going straight to prison).  Microsoft, because of its size, and
because of the political environment in the US, basically got away
with it completely.  In fact in some ways they benefitted from it.

Companies are going to continue to get away with it until we bring
about a political change.  Not communism, just simple enforcement of
the existing laws, and extensions of those laws to punish directors.
This is already happening in the UK with Health & Safety law.  It's a
very Good Thing that directors face serious prison terms if their
employees are injured or killed through negligence.

A few years ago you might remember that most of the cinemas in London
were bought by Virgin, then seemingly only about a year later, they
were sold on (to UGC?).  Did Virgin suddenly get cold feet about being
in the cinema business?  Actually no.  When Virgin bought the cinemas
it signed them up to a UKP 17m contract to sell Virgin Cola, which
tied them in for several years afterwards.  [Don't know if they still
sell Virgin Cola now they're all owned by Odeon, anyone know?  I
stopped going to the cinema several years ago].  Was this illegal?
Should this have been illegal?  No, and probably not.  It would be an
entirely different matter if these cinemas tied the sale of tickets to
the sale of cola, and didn't allow you to bring your own refreshments.

Rich.

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