But utility executives rejoiced in August after a federal judge in North Carolina, ruling on a motion in a case against Duke Energy, offered a broader definition of "routine maintenance" than the one E.P.A. lawyers sought.
The regime has built a vast "stability maintenance" apparatus and President Xi Jinping has sought to further stifle dissent since his 2012 ascension to the top of the ruling party.
The state courts have chipped away at municipal prerogatives, ruling first that beach towns could not exclude nonresidents, then that they could not charge nonresidents higher fees, and then that fees could not exceed actual maintenance costs.
Arpaio appealed that ruling.
But in the monopoly maintenance section of its ruling, the appeals court found that two aspects of Microsoft integration of its browser into Windows did violate the law.
The ruling, which requires maintenance of the current water level at a South Dakota reservoir that is a source of hydroelectric power, will mean a power deficit that will have to be made up for with other sources.
For today's ruling of monopoly maintenance opens up a glaring weakness for Microsoft on one of its several legal fronts -- one that was acknowledged by even its leading supporters today.
Tracey Wright, a 51-year-old former legal secretary, riding instructor and mother of two, has lost her appeal against a family court ruling to reduce the maintenance she receives in future from her former husband.
This ruling empowers manufacturers to use resale price maintenance to create value for their customers and consumers.
