It may not be going as fast as the company would like, but everything seems to be going IBM Corp’s way in its efforts to get the 1956 Anti-Trust Consent Decree lifted (CI No 2,837). The Justice Department has now decided to set aside another part of the decree as it relates to the AS/400, but a decision has been delayed until June 28 over how long the government wants to wait before terminating the restrictions. It is supporting IBM’s efforts to end the decree as far as the AS/400 is concerned, but wants a phase-out period to give the market time to adjust. But June 28 is also the date set for deciding whether the government will support IBM’s efforts to terminate the parts of the consent decree affecting mainframes. The decree requires IBM to publish interface information and to make spare parts available to third party maintenance shops at fair and reasonable prices. It also requires IBM to operate its lease finance subsidiary at arm’s length and to sell equipment to its own leasing company at the same price it charges third parties. IBM is expected to get all it wants, but only in a sunset agreement, where a date sometime in the medium future is set for the complete rescission.
