Tag: department of justice

June 22, 1870: The Department of Justice Is Signed Into Law

Today in 1870, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law a bill proposed by Congressman William Lawrence, creating the United States Department of Justice. The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, led by Congressman Lawrence, conducted an inquiry into the creation of a "law department" headed by the Attorney General and also composed of the various department solicitors and United States attorneys. On February 19, 1868, Lawrence introduced the bill in Congress to create the Department of Justice.   Image Credit: gCaptain

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May 18, 1998: United States v. Microsoft Corp.

Today in 1998, the U.S. Department of Justice began a suit against Microsoft, claiming they were illegally thwarting competition in order to protect and extend their software monopoly. Specifically, it centered around the bundling of Internet Explorer with Microsoft's Windows operating system and what that meant for other internet browsers at the time. After years of proceedings (including a ruling that would force Microsoft to break up, and Microsoft's subsequent appeal), a settlement was reached on November 2, 2001. Under the terms of the settlement, Microsoft was required to share their APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) with third-party companies and appoint a panel of three people…

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