CBS Poll: Microsoft Suit Is Wrong Approach

The Justice Department is doing the wrong thing by suing Microsoft Corp., according to a majority of Americans who have heard a lot about the case, a CBS News poll found. The Justice Department and 20 state attorneys general last week filed sweeping antitrust lawsuits against the company, accusing the world’s largest personal-computer software maker of using its market dominance to stifle competition. Among the 27% of respondents who said they’ve heard a lot about the case, 54% said the Justice Department is doing the wrong thing. Only 36% said it’s doing the right thing. The poll also found that the public is nearly four times as likely to have a favorable opinion of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates as they aren’t, with about 39% likely and 11% unlikely. It said more Americans have a favorable opinion of Gates than of Vice President Al Gore, as only 29% favor Gore. The poll was conducted among a nationwide sample of 1,080 adults by phone last week.