Microsoft faces Netscape's communication

 

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By Alun Williams

Posted on 20 Mar 2002 at 16:54

Former Netscape CEO James L Barksdale was given the opportunity to blast Microsoft from the witness box today, as the final phase of the antitrust case entered its second day.

The New York Times reports Mr Barksdale submitted a testimony to the effect that the current proposed measures to punish Microsoft and reach a settlement would not have prevented Microsoft using anticompetitive behaviour to crush Netscape in the 1990s and therefore would not stop Microsoft from doing it again.

Indeed, the crux of the current situation is whether Microsoft is currently pursuing anti-competitive behaviour in other areas, such as mobile devices and instant messaging, and how far the settlement should go to prevent Microsoft from repeating its actions.

While Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly refused to draw new accusations of anti-competitive behaviour in to the case, she hasn't ruled out considering Microsoft's current conduct in regard to imposing greater punishments in a new settlement.