But licensing or suing isn't leveraging their current monopoly. They aren't blocking Android from syncing on Windows. They're not blocking the Nook client from working on Windows. They're not bundling WP with Windows.
They're suing over patents. Last I checked even monopolies could sue over patent infringement.
If BN asserted they were actually using their monopoly power then that would be one thing. But simply asserting that a monopoly in one space is being scrappy in another doesn't meet the bar.
> But licensing or suing isn't leveraging their current monopoly
Using the income from monopoly A for threatening to drag players in market B (that's about to become more relevant than monopoly A) into legal wars that only the plaintiff can afford is... well... shady.
> They're suing over patents. Last I checked even monopolies could sue over patent infringement.
Unless they are using those patents to prevent competitors from competing with them. If you consider the mobile ecosystem as competition to the desktop ecosystem, you can argue they are leveraging a monopoly (because the monopolist in segment A can afford a legal battle nobody in segment B can) to prevent it from being rendered worthless by a segment they can't monopolize.
They're suing over patents. Last I checked even monopolies could sue over patent infringement.
If BN asserted they were actually using their monopoly power then that would be one thing. But simply asserting that a monopoly in one space is being scrappy in another doesn't meet the bar.