The towering giant of the Microsoft Corporation may fall if the company loses an antitrust suit.

Fearing a complete monopoly of the computer world, 20 states, including Iowa, have sued the company over possibly illegal business practices.

They said “the software giant uses unfair tactics to crush competitors and constrict consumer choice,” according to an article in Tuesday’s Des Moines Register.

The driving force behind the lawsuit is Microsoft Internet Explorer, the company’s Internet browser to be packaged with the new Windows 98 operating system, scheduled to be released in June.

Windows operating systems already run more than 90 percent of the world’s personal computers, and now Microsoft is trying to dominate the Internet browser business as well.

One suggestion was that Microsoft could package Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer’s biggest rival, with Windows 98. To put it simply, Microsoft didn’t comply.

The lawsuit was filed after negotiations with Microsoft failed. Perhaps because of this, the company’s stock value dropped.

Microsoft has felt for several years that in order to protect the company’s future, a dominant holding in the Internet browser market was key.

Is Bill Gates right? Will he lose his place on the software pedestal if he loses this lawsuit?

Maybe so, but if Gates wants to stay in the business, he should exercise his ability to be creative as opposed to stealing his software ideas from other companies or people.

It is rumored that Gates has done this and made money without compensating the creators.

If that is the case, Gates should go down in court and let the little guy have a hand in the software industry.

But if not, then what is the government doing? This is supposed to be a capitalist country, and if Microsoft happens to have the edge in marketing and a reputation for good, reliable software, why shouldn’t Gates make all the money?

It is the way of capitalism: you have to compete in the market to stay in business and succeed.

Microsoft has been coercing computer companies to comply with its demands for too long, and the corporation should be stopped.

But when it comes to dealing with the Microsoft giant, other software companies need to stop whining and start improving their own products so they can compete.