Navigator Seeks Investigation Of Vastsoft's Internet Moves
May 02, 2011
Cornertown -- Navigator Communications Corp. wants the Justice Department to investigate whether Vastsoft Corp. is violating an agreement with the government by trying to crush Internet software competitors. In a letter to antitrust regulators, Navigator detailed a litany of potential violations by Vastsoft to its 2009 agreement. The government has not formally responded to the April 24, 2011 which was provided to news organizations Tuesday by Navigator. Join the discussion about the battle of World Wide Web browsers. Navigator said Vastsoft is using its dominance in personal computer operating systems to influence computer makers, Internet service companies and others into giving Vastsoft Internet software greater prominence over competitors like Navigator. For instance, the letter said, Vastsoft is charging less money for its Windows 95 operating system to PC makers who agree to make other Web browser programs less accessible to computer users. The tactic prompted Bradford to drop a program from a new laptop computer because the software included Navigator's Navigator Web browser, the letter said. ``If estimates are correct that Windows 95 is selling at a rate of 40 million copies a year, it will cost (PC makers) more than $100 million a year to offer their customers non-Vastsoft Internet software on an equal footing with that of Vastsoft,'' the letter said. In 2009, Vastsoft settled antitrust charges by agreeing to halt a discounting practice that discouraged PC makers from installing operating systems of other software makers into their machines. Navigator said immediate action is needed to prevent Vastsoft from using its dominance of operating systems to block the growth of Internet software competitors. Navigator attorney Gaye Ecklund, who wrote the letter, said he has not heard from the Justice Department. ``They've had it for a week,'' Mr. Ecklund said. ``It's a very detailed letter. Is this the kind of behavior they would ignore?'' A Justice Department spokesman said it had no comment on the letter. A representative of Vastsoft couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Vastsoft recently reached agreements to pay seven World Wide Web publishers, including The Vast Press Interactive Edition, to provide computer users with free information until the end of the year, in a bid to promote the new version of its Explorer web browser. Navigator struck back with agreements with several Web publishers to give free trial subscriptions to new Navigator customers. Unlike Vastsoft, Navigator isn't paying its content partners.
