* The European Commission said it was not invesitgating MICROSOFT
CORP's bundling of its Windows software and its Internet Explorer
browser, prefering to leave the issue to the United States, a
Commission spokesman said. But the European Union's executive was
"cooperating very closely" with the U.S. Justice Department on the
issue, he added. (Reuters 06:55 AM ET 05/18/98)
* President Bill Clinton said that an antitrust case against
software giant MICROSOFT CORP could have a significant impact on
the U.S. economy. But he said he had confidence in the way the
Justice Department was handling its investigation of the company,
headed by billionaire Bill Gates, for allegedly abusing its
dominant market position. (Reuters 12:08 PM ET 05/18/98) For the
full text story, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554214877-9ba
* U.S. federal and state governments will file one of the most
important antitrust challenges of all time against MICROSOFT CORP,
government sources said. The governments decided to proceed with
filing the suits after the collapse of settlement negotiations
with the software giant over the weekend. The complaints --
separate lawsuits by the federal government and a coalition of
states -- will accuse Microsoft of abusing its power as maker of
the popular Windows operating systems on over 90% of personal
computers. The company intends to start shipping its Windows 98
operating system to computer makers Monday ahead of public release
scheduled for June 25. (Reuters 01:13 PM ET 05/18/98) For the full
text story, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554215570-6ec
* The U.S. Justice Department will continue to investigate
MICROSOFT CORP at the same time as it pursues its latest lawsuit
against the company, department antitrust chief Joel Klein said.
"We are filing this action now to address time sensitive aspects
of the shipment of Windows 98, aspects that could significantly
harm competition," Klein said. "Our investigation of other
Microsoft practices is ongoing." Klein, speaking at a news
conference to announce the suit, also said the department would
not seek to prevent shipment of Windows 98 software to PC
manufacturers. (Reuters 12:43 PM ET 05/18/98) For the full text
story, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554215392-d71
* MICROSOFT CORP said the federal and state antitrust lawsuits
filed against it were "without merit" and vowed to fight the case
in court. "We believe these lawsuits are without merit and will
hurt consumers," Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinan said. "We will
resolve this in the courts." Cullinan said Microsoft was
"disappointed" by the lawsuits, which demand changes in the
company's forthcoming Windows 98 operating system software. "This
is a sad day for consumers and a sad day for the American software
industry," he said. (Reuters 01:13 PM ET 05/18/98) For the full
text story, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554215624-ed5
* Attorneys General from 20 states and the District of Columbia
filed an antitrust lawsuit today in Washington, D.C., alleging
that the MICROSOFT CORP illegally stifled competition, harmed
consumers, and undercut innovation in the computer software
industry. The States coordinated their action with the U.S.
Department of Justice, which filed a parallel suit today in
Federal District Court in Washington. The states did not ask the
court to delay or block shipment of Windows 98, but to require
Microsoft to "untie" Windows 98 and Internet Explorer from the
time a preliminary injunction is issued. (Reuters 01:45 PM ET
05/18/98) For the full text story, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554215911-8be
* MICROSOFT CORP will continue to try to settle its antitrust
dispute with state and federal regulators after expected lawsuits
are filed, company Chairman Bill Gates said in an interview to be
published Monday. "We worked hard to settle," Gates told Time
magazine after settlement talks broke down Saturday. "I wish we
had been able to. I'll seize every opportunity to do so." Gates
said he was disappointed the talks broke down but confident
Microsoft would be vindicated. (Reuters 02:41 PM ET 05/17/98) For
the full text story, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554200481-b42
* Business dogma holds that raw capitalism means competition, but
a darker picture emerges from superimposing the lives of MICROSOFT
CORP mogul Bill Gates and oil titan John D. Rockefeller Sr., said
the author of an acclaimed new Rockefeller biography. Wide open
frontiers in new industries -- for Gates in computer software, for
Rockefeller in the turbulent 19th century oil fields -- led to
market dominance that crushed rivals, said Ron Chernow, author of
"Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller Sr." Only a landmark
Supreme Court decision jarred loose competition in Rockefeller's
time. "People think Bill Gates is rough," he said. "But he's a
powder puff compared with Rockefeller." (Reuters 02:32 PM ET
05/17/98) For the full text story, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554200359-d18
* MICROSOFT CORP has begun shipping its Windows 98 operating
system -- the target of government antitrust lawsuits -- to
computer makers for retail sale beginning June 25, a company
spokesman said. The software giant's manufacturing contractors
have begun the process of stamping disks, packaging them and
shipping them out, Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinan said.
Microsoft had delayed shipping the product on Friday to allow for
last-minute negotiations with antitrust regulators, which
collapsed on Saturday. (Reuters 03:53 PM ET 05/18/98) For the full
text story, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554217239-e1e
* MICROSOFT Chairman Bill Gates said the company expected to incur
"substantial" expenses defending itself from state and federal
antitrust lawsuits. Even so, he said at a news conference that he
did not see any reason why the lawsuits should distract the
company's executives from developing new products and carrying on
with operations. Gates said he was disappointed that the lawsuits
were filed and said the company had tried to settle with state and
federal regulators "despite the fact we felt the government's
claims are without merit." (Reuters 03:36 PM ET 05/18/98) Full
story, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554217308-4d0
* After market close, NETSCAPE COMMUNICATIONS CORP applauded the
antitrust lawsuits alleging MICROSOFT CORP used its popular
Windows operating system to force comuter makers to use its
Internet browser. But it also said it was continuing to reengineer
the Netscape business model "to accomodate diminishing browser
revenue." "We may never know how (Netscape) would have developed
in the absence of the kinds of anti-competitive behavior that
formed the basis of the governments' case," the company said.
(Reuters 04:21 PM ET 05/18/98) For the full text story, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554219462-acf
* After market close, MICROSOFT CORP CFO Greg Maffei said he did
not expect the current state and federal antitrust lawsuits
against the company to have any "material impact" on its business.
Maffei made the comment in a conference call with reporters and
analysts, during which Senior Vice President Bill Neukom said the
litigation did not appear to threaten the scheduled June 25 retail
launch of its Windows 98 operating system. "I don't see any
reasonable circumstances where we would be required to 'yank back'
product from customers," Neukom said. "That's beyond the scope of
any preliminary injunctive relief the government could hope to
have." (Reuters 04:40 PM ET 05/18/98) For the full text story, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554219498-c0d
* After market close, SUN MICROSYSTEMS INC said it applauds the
action filed against MICROSOFT CORP by the U.S. Department of
Justice, 20 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia.
"Vigorous competition is vital to the success of a free-market
economy," Sun said in a statement. "We are gratified that Justice,
the states and the District of Columbia have recognized what
businesses and consumers have instinctively known -- that no one
company should gain a chokehold on the Internet." (Reuters 06:03
PM ET 05/18/98) For the full text story, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2554219746-250