Quote:
Originally Posted by iamosam
Slightly OFFTOPIC:
May be time for a 'basic economics' crash course? 
"A monopoly is an enterprise that is the only seller of a good or service."
Calibre is a monopoly if and only if it is the only product of its kind available. If there were any other products available, it wouldn't really be a monopoly.
Also, a monopoly is a monopoly irrespective of the way the enterprise achieve or maintain it (i.e. their competitive attitude/practices). So irrespective of the good/bad intentions or encouragement of its developers for forking/developing alternative products, calibre is still a monopoly.
And to all those who said "No one is forcing you to use calibre", well (unfortunately) a monopoly 'effectively' does just that. They control the market and they detect the terms, irrespective of market sentiments.
Unless and until an alternative product comes into the picture, no one really knows how bad the market needs really are. |
But there are other products, they are listed in an earlier post.
The fact that a product has a dominant position an open market does not make it a monopoly, and achieving market dominance by offering a superior product and/or services is not a crime or malfeasance. Indeed it is a cornerstone of capitalism and free markets. And it's those forces that have lifted more people out of poverty in the last 25 years than anything in the prior 5,000 years.
However, you are also free make a complaint to Eric Holder at the US DoJ or Joaquín Almunia at the EUC or the anti-trust authorities in a country or province of your choosing - good luck with that; watch out for the laws regarding making frivolous claims.
BR
My preferred
Definition of a Monopoly