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Microsoft back in court
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January 13, 1998: 2:38 p.m. ET
Will answer government charges that the company violated court order
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WASHINGTON (CNNfn) - Microsoft Corp. was back in court Tuesday to answer government charges that the software giant violated a December court order and to defend itself against allegations of anti-competitive behavior.
The Justice Department told U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson that it will prove over the next two days that the company is in contempt of his December order that temporarily blocked Microsoft from requiring PC makers to bundle the browser along with the Windows 95 operating system.
Justice anti-trust lawyer Phillip Malone told Jackson he faces "a simple and straightforward issue - whether or not Microsoft has complied with his order. The answer is no," Malone said.
The government also called Glenn Weadock, author of several computer instruction books, to explain why Windows 95 constitutes a separate product that is not part of the Internet Explorer Web browser.
In an opening statement, Microsoft lawyers said the company will show that the "government's proof will fall far short" and that "it is the government that may have created confusion in the minds of the court and the public."
The hearing is expected to conclude Wednesday. A few days later, Jackson is expected to rule whether Microsoft is in contempt of his order and whether to grant the government's demand that the software giant be fined $1 million a day.
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