How could MSFT have gained its monopoly position if anyone were allowed to distribute Windows without paying MSFT a cent? How about if they couldn't enforce patents on the industry at all? There couldn't be a more clear case of government being required for a monopoly to form than any intellectual property company.

I'm not quite as familiar with US Steel, but I do know that one of the primary reasons they became so big was because they were fully integrated through the entire production process. A substantial part of that was controlling the mode of transportation for heavy goods, railroad. That history of rail in our country is wrought with examples of government granted monopolies right from the beginning of the trans-continental railroad.

I know virtually nothing about Hearst, but it was a news/media company right? So that should definitely fall under the same category of intellectual property.