[tolmasky]

Usually preventing better products is done through legal assistance:

1. Abusive use of patents to prevent small upstarts that can't afford litigation

2. Getting regulations passed that are so expensive only established players can afford them.

3. Making visa requirements so complex and expensive that it becomes a competitive advantage to have an entire department dedicated to it in your largco.

Having so much money that you can put out a product that integrated better with yours is just another spin on putting out a great product as far as I'm concerned, and thus never worries me.

IMHO doing away with patents would do much more to "curb bad monopolies" than any litigious strategy.