FOCUS-Gates blasts U.S. case against Microsoft
By Martin Wolk
BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov 11 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp.<MSFT.O>
Chairman Bill Gates lashed out at the government's antitrust
case against the software giant, saying it was driven chiefly
by the company's competitors.
"The more we see of the case, the more clear it is that
there's an effort here to advance the interests of a handful of
competitors over the interests of the public and the economy,"
Gates said at the company's annual shareholders meeting.
In his first extensive public comment on the case since it
went to trial Oct. 19, Gates confidently predicted the company
would win the landmark legal battle, which is expected to end
up before the U.S. Supreme Court and reshape antitrust law for
a new era of high technology.
"As our witnesses come forward, you will see that the facts
simply don't support the government's claims," Gates said. "I think
people will be surprised to see how the DOJ has misused
e-mail snippets to create a false impression."
The U.S. Department of Justice and 20 states have charged
that Microsoft violated the nation's antitrust laws by
exploiting a monopoly in personal computer operating systems to
extend its dominance into new markets.
The trial, now in its fourth week in a Washington, D.C.,
federal courtroom has featured testimony from executives of
Netscape Communications Corp., Intel Corp. and Apple Computer
Inc. describing Microsoft's strong-arm tactics.
An unhappy-looking Gates also was shown in a videotaped
deposition in which he displayed a surprising lack of memory
about electronic-mail messages he had sent and received about
competitive threats facing the company.
In his comments to a friendly crowd of about 2,000
shareholders in a convention hall near Microsoft's suburban
Seattle headquarters, Gates said he had "incredible respect"
for the U.S. justice system but serious questions about the
case against the 23-year-old company he co-founded.
"You can't help but wonder when you hear about the private
breakfast meetings and private dinners on an ongoing basis
between the government's lawyers and Microsoft's competitors,"
he said.
Asked later about that charge, a company spokesman referred
to two reported meetings this year between U.S. antitrust chief
Joel Klein and executives of Netscape, Oracle Corp. and other
Microsoft rivals.
Gates also vigorously denied accusations that the company
attempted to "sabotage" Apple Computer Inc. multimedia
software.
"That's simply untrue," he said in response to a
shareholder's question. "We've never done anything of that
kind, and it's outrageous that anyone would make that claim."
Last week and in a prior deposition, Apple Senior Vice
President Avadis Tevanian accused Microsoft of purposely
creating problems for Apple's QuickTime software for playing
audio and video.
While Gates has been attacked as a bully of questionable
credibility in the first weeks of the trial, he remains
immensely popular among shareholders, who have seen their
shares soar 70 percent in the past year alone. They mobbed
Gates for his autograph after the meeting.
Court was not in session Wednesday for the U.S. Veteran's
Day holiday. |
