Microsoft on Trial: October 98

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31 October 1998

• Microsoft sabotaged QuickTime, says Apple exec
  And last year’s ‘alliance’ was struck after threats to kill Office for the Mac
• Trial focus shifts to Gates
  The DoJ is banking on Bill Gates turning out to be its star witness

30 October 1998

• MS strives to prove potential AOL, Netscape pact anti-competitive
  Colbourn cross-examination continues…

29 October 1998

• AOL, Netscape colluded to beat ‘Beast of Redmond’, claims MS attorney
  And who can blame them? replies DoJ
• AOL exec disputes ‘IE was better’ claim
  It was cheaper, he says, and the contract with Microsoft said it had to be 85 per cent of our shipments
• Barksdale suggests splitting Microsoft operations
  But if you split OS and apps, do you let Microsoft decide which is which?
• Microsoft paid Apple $150m to settle QuickTime suit
  DoJ lawyer uncovers price of settling embarrassing copyright infringement dispute

28 October 1998

• Microsoft paid AOL ‘bounty’ for conversions from rivals, says exec
  Superficially damaging claims from Apple are shaky, but the AOL connection looks more dangerous for Microsoft

27 October 1998

• MS modifies line on market splitting meeting with Netscape
  ’Fess up, Barksdale, you connived with the DoJ, alleges Microsoft attorney
• Microsoft has egg on face, says DoJ
  Company accused of mounting ‘cynical attempt to distract attention’
• ‘Da cops set us up!’ — Microsoft shock claim
  The Netscape meet was all an elaborate sting to trigger a DoJ investigation, says attorney

26 October 1998

• The Microsoft Trial continues…
  Netscape CEO testimony due to be wrapped up today, and Gates’ video evidence should be made public

23 October 1998

• Barksdale bites back over ‘lie’ accusations
  It’s boiling down to who’s lying, Netscape or Microsoft
• Trial day four: is Microsoft playing the boredom card?
  As Jim Barksdale heads for a fourth day on the stand, we could be heading for the Big Z
• Microsoft attorney ‘exposes’ Netscape sales policy
  The memos show Netscape expected not to be paid for some of its browsers, but we knew that already…

22 October 1998

• Clark memo fails to shake Barksdale in six hour marathon
  Netscape’s CEO declines to say what Microsoft’s brief wants him to say
• Judge gives DoJ two more days on Microsoft data
  Justice faces a tough job in getting all it wants before the shutters come down
• More questions for Barksdale, but judge gets tetchy
  If it keeps going at this rate, it won’t keep going at all, suspects Jackson
• Microsoft sought to pollute Java, maybe Sun let it
  Sun’s evidence indicates Microsoft cynically attempted to fragment Java, Microsoft’s that Sun messed-up and let it

21 October 1998

• Microsoft draws blood in Netscape battle
  But actually, the ‘victory’ means a lot less than Microsoft thinks
• Gates didn’t threaten Intel’s Grove, says Microsoft attorney
  Attempts to get Intel to drop NSP were for technical reasons, claims Microsoft
• Barksdale holds ground in three hour cross-examination
  Microsoft attorney John Warden has so far failed to dent the Netscape CEO’s armour — but he’s only on page 13 of 127
• ‘How much to screw Netscape’ memo sheds light on AOL IE deal
  These days AOL claims IE was technically superior — but what was it saying at the time?
• Smoking memos that support Netscape’s carve-up tales
  New documentation indicates that Netscape’s ‘fantasy’ originated the day after the companies met — spooky, eh?
• Trial unnecessary, and we don’t have to be polite — Microsoft lawyer
  It was Sound-bite City as John Warden opened for Microsoft’s defence yesterday
• The true costs of Linux development
  A Register reader challenges the Microsoft ‘one man’ theory of Linux

20 October 1998

• ‘Linux made it, so what’s the problem?’ says Microsoft attorney
  It’s official — any smart Helsinki student has a chance to destroy the Gates Empire
• How Microsoft squeezed Netscape out of contracts — Barksdale
  Netscape CEO’s testimony details ‘anticompetitive’ allegations
• Microsoft spin doctors spin to blunt attack on Gates
  After yesterday’s assault, Microsoft’s legal eagles claim it’s all ‘out of context’
• Prosecution says Gates led plan to crush Netscape
  Claims company set out to eliminate sources of Netscape revenue
• Microsoft trial: How it will proceed
  What’s going to happen, and what the DoJ needs to prove
• DoJ springs trap for Bill Gates
  Justice’s opening set out to prove Gates less than truthful, and to undermine his credibility as a witness

19 October 1998

• Microsoft wriggles to keep DoJ off its data
  So what is it in there that Microsoft doesn’t want people to see?

15 October 1998

• EU rattles Microsoft’s cage
  Formal complaint against company may be on the cards
• What’s bad for Microsoft is bad for the US
  Breaking up Microsoft is as ludicrous as breaking up… whoever wins the World Series

14 October 1998

• Microsoft spin-doctors ‘refute’ DoJ case
  But there seems to be a lot more spinning than red meat in this here document…

12 October 1998

• Does Microsoft ‘gibberish’ database run on IBM hardware?
  Register supersleuth Graham Lea reckons Microsoft is being bashful about owning a SAP-AS/400 combo