Microsoft chairman Bill Gates was yesterday characterised as a lousy witness by Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, who damned the world's richest man as he rejected a Microsoft motion intended to put a stop to the DoJ's 'Gates TV' series (Earlier Story). The DoJ has been showing excerpts from Gates' videotaped deposition, and these have rapidly been achieving cult comedy status, as Gates squirms, forgets, and apparently find it difficult to understand the English language. Microsoft claims the government lawyers are attempting to blacken Gates' character, and using "snippets" out of context. Gates himself told the press yesterday: "I answered every question, completely, truthfully through many, many long days. The fact that they're taking snippets out of that and holding them up without having me there because they chose not to call me as a witness, I think, is quite novel." Register factoid: the transcript of the latest session which we published earlier this week (Stupidly vast transcript) in nigh-on 5,000 words long. Snippet? Microsoft claimed in its motion that the DoJ has been spacing out the Gates videos so it can hit the headlines over and over again, and although this is true (Come on, it's got to be true, hasn't it? But it's fun.), the judge rejected the argument, saying: "I think your problem is with your witness… I think it's evident to every spectator that, for whatever reasons, in many respects Mr Gates has not been particularly responsive to his deposition interrogation. ... Everybody at your table has reflected scepticism as the testimony is presented." So not only does the judge think Gates is a liability as a witness - he also thinks the defence lawyers think this too. Oh dear. The good judge was sniggering openly during the last show, so probably doesn't want to miss his weekly fix either. ® Complete Register trial coverage