Microsoft's decade in court: A brief history

1990

June

US Federal Trade Commission launches investigation into possible collusion between Microsoft and IBM in the software market.

1993

August

US Department of Justice (DoJ) begins investigating Microsoft for anticompetitive practices.

1994

July

DoJ and Microsoft sign consent decree outlawing restrictive licences with PC makers

1995

February

Federal court throws out consent decree.

June

Appellate court overturns federal court ruling.

August

Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson approves consent decree.

1996

September

DoJ investigates Microsoft for allegations of consent decree violations.

1997

October

DoJ fines Microsoft $1m a day for violating consent decree by bundling Internet Explorer (IE) with Windows 95.

Sun Microsystems sues Microsoft over Java. The claim argues that Microsoft deliberately changed the Java specification in its Internet Explorer 4.0 browser and its software developers kit. Microsoft countersues Sun, charging that Java hasn't lived up to its promises.

December

Microsoft ordered to unbundle browser in preliminary injunction issued by Judge Jackson.

1998

January

Microsoft agrees to let licencees install Windows 95 without IE icon on the desktop.

March

Bill Gates appears before House Judiciary Committee and defends Microsoft.

May

Appellate court rules that injunction against bundling does not apply to Windows 98.

DoJ and 20 states hit Microsoft with antitrust suit alleging it is using its monopoly in operating systems to muscle in on the Internet browser market.

June

Appellate court overturns Windows 95 preliminary injunction.

July

DoJ asks Microsoft for Windows 95 and 98 source code.

August

Microsoft files motion attempting to dismiss suit.

Bill Gates testifies for pre-trial depositions.

September

DoJ expands allegations of Microsoft using its monopoly to interfere with competition.

October 19

Day one of Microsoft's antitrust case against the DoJ. Gates appears briefly in videotaped testimony.

October 20

The DoJ's first witness, Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale, claims that in 1995 Microsoft threatened to crush Netscape if it stood in its way in the Internet browser market.

October 22

Microsoft replies, saying Netscape fabricated allegations that Microsoft tried to illegally force it to split the Web browser market in 1995.

October 28/29

AOL caught in crossfire. Evidence of a proposed 1995 'grand alliance' between Netscape and AOL against Microsoft.

Evidence of 1996 counterdeal between AOL and Microsoft to use IE as 'virtually exclusive' browser for AOL customers, who now number 13 million.

October 30

Senior Apple executive, Avadis Trevanian, accuses Microsoft of using strong-arm tactics to control their use of browser technology. He also claims Microsoft built bugs into its operating systems which prevented Apple's multimedia QuickTime software from working properly.

November 2

Bill Gates' videotaped testimony takes centre stage. He repeatedly gives "I don't remember" or "I don't recall" when questioned about a string of belligerent emails aimed at industry competitors, Netscape, Apple, Intel, Sun Microsystems etc.

November 5

Referring to Apple's QuickTime software, Avadis Trevanian says Microsoft told Apple to "knife the baby" if it wanted to survive in the multimedia software market.

November 10

Bill McGeady, VP of Intel, produces evidence that in 1995, Bill Gates said the DoJ "probe" would blow over and that the antitrust case had not affected Microsoft's business practices.

November 17

Sun Microsystems wins preliminary injunction against Microsoft in the Java case. The pre-trial hearing rules that unless Microsoft's Java products meet Sun's standards within 90 days, the products - which include Windows 98 - will be banned from the market.