IBM faces DOJ antitrust inquiry on mainframes

From InfoWorld: IBM is facing an antitrust inquiry from the U.S. Department of Justice for recent actions the company has taken in the mainframe computer market, according to the trade group that filed the complaint.

The DOJ has begun issuing formal requests for information related to a complaint filed against IBM in September, according to the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), the trade group that filed the complaint.

CCIA's complaint against IBM alleges that the company has refused to issue licenses for IBM's mainframe OS to competitors, as required in a 1970s antitrust consent decree with the DOJ that was terminated in 2001. In some cases, IBM has yanked the OS license from customers trying to switch from IBM mainframe hardware to a competitor's, said Ed Black, CCIA's president.

Several large and small companies would like to compete with IBM in the mainframe market, particularly in software and services for mainframes, but IBM's actions have allowed it to maintain a monopoly, Black said.

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