Microsoft Says Competitors Used Doj As A Weapon

Computergram International,  Nov 6, 1998  

Tags: Apple Inc., Government, Microsoft Corp., SECURITY, U.S. Department of Justice

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At the antitrust trial on Thursday morning, Microsoft Corp again alleged that its competitors used the threat of Department of Justice (DoJ) action as "a weapon" against it in business negotiations. Microsoft counsel Theodore Edelman introduced an internal Apple Computer Inc document, which he said showed that Apple had considered the possibility.

Under the heading "Why Microsoft needs us," the document read: "Apple might use the DoJ interest in Microsoft to leverage business concessions." On the stand for his second day of defense cross-examination, Avadis Tevanian denied that Apple had ever used DoJ action as a threat. However, he insisted that given that Apple felt it was being threatened by Redmond's monopoly power, it would have been "perfectly reasonable to get the DoJ after them." David Boies, the government's lead attorney, said of the accusations, "when you find someone is breaking the law...that's one of the things the department is there for."

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