Microsoft founder Bill Gates entered the witness box for the first time today in his company's epic antitrust case, testifying the penalties being sought by nine US states would undermine the Windows software used by millions of Americans.
In written testimony submitted after he was sworn in, Gates also argued the penalties the states have sought would give Microsoft's competitors an unfair advantage.
The penalties include requiring Microsoft to divulge some of the blueprints and technical information about how Windows and other company products work.
Such penalties would cause "a massive transfer of Microsoft's intellectual property rights" to competitors, billionaire Gates said in his testimony to the Washington court.
Gates, the company chairman and founder and a central figure in America's computer revolution, was to face tough grilling from lawyers for the nine states that have refused to settle the antitrust allegations. A court has already ruled Microsoft operated as an illegal monopoly that stifled competition.
AP