Monopoly?

[Ravioli]

Having a monopoly is illigal in America, should it be? It was made illigal way back when the railroad companies basically ruled the country.

I dont see the problem with monopoly. Microsoft had to pay millions of dollars a while ago in a fine because they had the monopoly of computer OSs (such as when consumers buy PCs they get it with Windows already installed on it). But i mean, Microsoft has produced one of the best OSs there is, ofcorse everyone would want it so ofcorse its gona create a monopoly, whats so bad about supplying the consumers with what they want? Besides, its the company who makes and sells the PCs who made the deal with microsoft to supply it with Windows, not Microsoft who forced it.

This can apply for anything. The reason why its illigal is so there can be diversity among things. Im a bit confused about the whole thing

What do you guys think about monopoly? (not the board game...altho its A SHITLOAD OF FUN)

 

[Apocalypse89]

Monopoly = no competition = companies can do whatever the hell they want(raise prices, cut corners on quality, treat customers like shit, etc.) without consequences.

 

[HunterSeeker]

I dunno if a monopoly should be illegal, it certainly should be illegal to work towards maintaining a monopoly or creating a new one by making competitors go out of buisness. But if I create a new kind of product and is the only company that supplies it is my monopoly really my fault?

 

[kirovman]

Not illegal, just increasingly undesirable to become a monopoly (i.e. more and more regulations).

Success should be welcomed, but a free market depends on healthy competition. Some ironically, a fee market needs restrictions :O

 

[The Monkey]

Government monopolies is the only monopoly that should be allowed, like the ones we have here on alcohol, gambling, medicines and a lot of other things.

 

[ComradeBadger]

Not illegal, just increasingly undesirable to become a monopoly (i.e. more and more regulations).

Success should be welcomed, but a free market depends on healthy competition. Some ironically, a fee market needs restrictions :O

Agreed.

 

[lePobz]

Wherever you have a monopoly, you have a fat cat (or a load of fat cats) raising prices and doing whatever the hell they want (generally being arrogant and ignorant). Competition is what keeps businesses on their toes, keeps them competing for quality and value ... and you'd have to be mad not to want either of those.

 

[hool10]

Monopolies destroy economies.

 

[Jintor]

Monopoly is a great game.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

Monopoly is a great game.

No it's not, it's as boring as sunday in church.

Also, the monkey: I think you mean "Gambling" rather than gaming. Slight difference

 

[hool10]

No it's not, it's as boring as sunday in church.

Take that back right now! In Monopoly you can let your inner world dominator out and try to screw people over and generally own everybody. This one time I was playing with my uncle, dad, mom, grandma, and myself. I needed like this one property for domination and asked my grandma for a deal. She gave me the property dirt cheap because "I was her best grandson" (and only). You know what happened? I earned so much money I felt like Bill Gates. In fact my mom who was the banker was asking me for loans for the bank! I had so much money that the bank ran out of money! What's even cooler are these competitions that last days or even weeks with real money in Monopoly. You can't say Monopoly is boring once people own the entire side of the board and you are coming around Parking Place to that side of the board. *Back to the main topic but that's what real monopolies are. They just own everybody in the game of life which is very bad.

 

[Beerdude26]

I thought Microsoft was fined for millions for being twats and always including Windows Media Player in their packages of Windows even when retailers requested that they give a version without it.

 

[theotherguy]

No, monopolies should remain illegal.

Monopolies create their own market forces of supply to raise prices to their maximum potential (NOT whatever they want, but the highest consumers are willing to pay), and have no incentive to improve products or advertise. Monopolies ruin the market economy by forcing out all other firms and reducing competition, thereby increasing prices for consumers, and lowering the overall quality of products. Monopolies are inefficient, and are nothing but degradations in an economy.

 

[theotherguy]

Having a monopoly is illigal in America, should it be? It was made illigal way back when the railroad companies basically ruled the country.

I dont see the problem with monopoly. Microsoft had to pay millions of dollars a while ago in a fine because they had the monopoly of computer OSs (such as when consumers buy PCs they get it with Windows already installed on it). But i mean, Microsoft has produced one of the best OSs there is, ofcorse everyone would want it so ofcorse its gona create a monopoly, whats so bad about supplying the consumers with what they want? Besides, its the company who makes and sells the PCs who made the deal with microsoft to supply it with Windows, not Microsoft who forced it.

This can apply for anything. The reason why its illigal is so there can be diversity among things. Im a bit confused about the whole thing

What do you guys think about monopoly? (not the board game...altho its A SHITLOAD OF FUN)

Furthermore, Microsoft is not a pure monopoly, but it is the closest thing to a pure monopoly on the planet. True, standardization can be a plus for the computer industry, but competition would produce much better, much more interesting operating systems. Microsoft's monopoly has done good for standardizing the industry, but it has hurt prices, accountability, and innovation. The fact of the matter is, Microsoft has zero incentive to improve its operating system for any reason other than public relations, since they can corner the market and force consumers to purchase their operating system with all the defects included. The consumer is thus rendered completely useless, and cannot effect the quality of Microsoft's products by purchasing another operating system.

 

[ericms]

Well, something which helps a monopolistic market form is a barrier to entry to that market, which includes government mandated licenses. Perhaps, instead of licenses, have similar regulations that are market controlled. So in perfectly competitive markets such regulations will be similar to what we have currently (however those who dismiss such regulations will most likely be treated differently then they are now), but the markets in which monopolies and cartels exist could potentially have more competition.

It seems to me that Microsoft has quite a lot of substitutes in terms of operating systems. Maybe not as many for the more casual users though, which might be less of a problem with distributions such as Ubuntu now.

 

[iizbl4ck]

Having a monopoly is illigal in America, should it be? It was made illigal way back when the railroad companies basically ruled the country.

I dont see the problem with monopoly. Microsoft had to pay millions of dollars a while ago in a fine because they had the monopoly of computer OSs (such as when consumers buy PCs they get it with Windows already installed on it). But i mean, Microsoft has produced one of the best OSs there is, ofcorse everyone would want it so ofcorse its gona create a monopoly, whats so bad about supplying the consumers with what they want? Besides, its the company who makes and sells the PCs who made the deal with microsoft to supply it with Windows, not Microsoft who forced it.

This can apply for anything. The reason why its illigal is so there can be diversity among things. Im a bit confused about the whole thing

What do you guys think about monopoly? (not the board game...altho its A SHITLOAD OF FUN)

ok imagine if every product or service or just everything was ruled by a monopoly. you would have to pay the prices or do the job and etc. that they wanted. They could raise the prices how high they wanted to becuz they would be ur only sorce for those supplies. so as u can see it would be that much fun and there its always good to have a diversity of things :naughty:

 

[Mr Stabby]

The company should face no financial repercussion from being successful, but maybe the government should be allowed to block take over bids, that give a company too much power in a certain area. I don't think monopolies will ever be a major problem, and market regulation should be kept to an absolute minimum, but it is required for stability

 

[Mr Stabby]

ok imagine if every product or service or just everything was ruled by a monopoly. you would have to pay the prices or do the job and etc. that they wanted. They could raise the prices how high they wanted to becuz they would be ur only sorce for those supplies. so as u can see it would be that much fun and there its always good to have a diversity of things :naughty:

surely that would create a niche in the market, if one company bought all other car companies, and made them make terrible and expensive cars, it would open the market for cheap reliable cars. A monopoly is extremely difficult to maintain, especially with crap products.

 

[iizbl4ck]

surely that would create a niche in the market, if one company bought all other car companies, and made them make terrible and expensive cars, it would open the market for cheap reliable cars. A monopoly is extremely difficult to maintain, especially with crap products.

exactly

 

[Apocalypse89]

Except that the existing monopoly could easily buy out or undercut any new competitor. Or exercise more "unconventional" corporate power.

 

[Mr Stabby]

To buy out the competitor, they would have to pay the competitor the money they could potential earn in the market, and to undercut them would be having to compete with them, which is not a monopoly.

A company cannot obtain a monopoly then sit on it, making crap, it would be corporate suicide.

 

[Kula Meenur]

Should stay illegal. Is bad for the consumers

 

[hydrometeor]

Monopolies should be illegal. We don't want businesses controlling society.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Not illegal, just increasingly undesirable to become a monopoly (i.e. more and more regulations).

Success should be welcomed, but a free market depends on healthy competition. Some ironically, a fee market needs restrictions :O

Pretty much!

 

[Red]

Should be illegal, otherwise would have to accept cartels, because cartel want to create a artificial monopoly (for what?) to get higher prices for their products, do you want to pay 1k dollars for a 17" TFT flatscreen? No, therefor "Merk" had to sell licences for producing the technology, they had invented, so taht you are able to buy a stupid 17" flatscreen for only 99$.
And its a part of a "free market economy" (don't know if it's the right word) that monopolys are forbidden.

Edit1: Thx EU for fighting against monopolys/Microsoft!

 

[PortalStormzzzz]

Monopolies curse capitalism and pave the road for corrupt socialism.