His father's law firm obtained the patent. Gates than marketed MS-DOS to [[IBM]]. His father's law firm negotiated the contract with IBM. Since the MS-DOS operating system was developed at public expense, and the public at large is denied the right to hold an exclusive patent, the contract gave Microsoft unusually advantageous rights. As the computer industry soared, Microsoft's unique position gave it monopoly power and profits. Two decades later, the Court of Appeals for the [[D.C. Circuit]] held that Microsoft had engaged in unlawful monopolistic behavior.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20110325070528/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/29/business/us-vs-microsoft-key-sections-decision-united-states-court-appeals.html</ref> | His father's law firm obtained the patent. Gates than marketed MS-DOS to [[IBM]]. His father's law firm negotiated the contract with IBM. Since the MS-DOS operating system was developed at public expense, and the public at large is denied the right to hold an exclusive patent, the contract gave Microsoft unusually advantageous rights. As the computer industry soared, Microsoft's unique position gave it monopoly power and profits. Two decades later, the Court of Appeals for the [[D.C. Circuit]] held that Microsoft had engaged in unlawful monopolistic behavior.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20110325070528/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/29/business/us-vs-microsoft-key-sections-decision-united-states-court-appeals.html</ref> |