One of the things big business relies on in its dealings with those whom it considers "bad guys" is the sheer intimidation factor of lawsuits. All that legalese, all those expensive lawyers, and all that complicated law are counted on to combine and intimidate anyone, regardless of their guilt or innocence, essentially browbeating them into submission.

The problem is, of course, occasionally one of the little guys fights back:

Thanks to massive doses of caffeine, Zamos (whose name rhymes with "famous") anxiously taps his Camper lace-ups against the table. A laptop sits to his right, a fat black binder to his left.

The only thing setting him apart from the other late-night crammers is that his notebook isn't filled with study guides. It's overflowing with documents from the federal lawsuit Microsoft brought against him on December 21.

As the above case proves, just because conventional wisdom says defending a lawsuit can result in ruinious costs doesn't mean said conventional wisdom is right. It also confirms what I've always maintained... anyone can get away with occasional bad behavior, but make a habit out of it and you'll always run up against someone or something that stops you. Sometimes it's the long arm of the law; sometimes it's an auditor with a question that can't be answered; sometimes it's a loon with a gun; and sometimes, just sometimes, it's a college kid who drinks too much coffee.