Business: The Case of the Century

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IBM has also been sued 20 times on antitrust charges by private companies since 1969. So far, none of the plaintiffs has won, though many cases are on appeal or still pending. None of the private cases got bogged down during trial like U.S. vs. IBM. If that case is ever definitely resolved, it could be a legal landmark. Not only might it dismantle the seventh biggest U.S. industrial corporation, but it might also set new limits on the way that big companies grow internally. The IBM case is already "the case of the century," says Barr. The problem, he adds, is that it may also become the case of the 21st century.