U.S. government spent only $13 million on MS antitrust case

The U.S. government's pursuit of Microsoft Corporation and its alleged antitrust violations have cost taxpayers an estimated $13 million over the past decade, a relatively minor expenditure given the enormity of the case. The news comes as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released its first public accounting of the investigation. Over $7 million of the cost is attributed to the federal investigation and eventual lawsuit that was brought against the company. Approximately $200,000 was spent on public relations, while $150,000 was spent publishing information, both on paper and electronically, about the case.

While Microsoft has never released its own cost estimate for the trial, the company reported that its legal expenses in fiscal 1999 were $689 million. Of course, Microsoft also made over $19 billion that year and spent $2 billion on research and development