Microsoft first became involved with the United States government in July of 1990, when the Federal Trade Commission began investigations of Microsoft after the company announced plans to jointly develop operating systems with IBM. When these plans dissolved, the FTC refocused their efforts towards Microsoft's general business and marketing tactics. Two years later, the four-member FTC team voted 2-2 on a proposal to instigate a legal injunction against the company. Six months later, the team reached another deadlock, thereby ending their interest and involvement in the legal issues concerning Microsoft's business practices.

At this point the investigations should have unraveled. However, the Department of Justice has recently appointed a new director to the Antitrust Division, Anne Bingaman. Bingaman, a seasoned antitrust attorney, transferred all of the FTC's files to the DOJ and began the government's campaign against Microsoft that lead to the initial consent decree, the Intuit merger complaint and the recent legal action regarding a possible violation of the consent decree with Internet Explorer.