Hang on.. what? Did I type that headline correctly? OK, it seems I did. Technology moves at a rapid pace, but the law is a slow, lumbering tortoise of a thing. How slow, I hear you ask? Microsoft’s still in court regarding Windows 95.
I remember Windows 95 anti-trust issues, but only really in the sense that I was a much younger novice journalist when they were already in full swing; much of the rest of that period is lost in the mists of memory. Not so if you’re a lawyer, or for that matter Bill Gates, who was in court late last week defending Microsoft against anti-trust allegations made by Novell relating to Word Perfect.
It’s coming back to me now. I remember Word Perfect… on my Amiga 500. See also onions, wearing on the belt due to style issues at the time.
That aside, Novell’s seeking $US1.2 billion in damages from Microsoft, alleging that it’s violating anti-trust provisions of US law. Because Gates was in charge of Microsoft at that time, he’s a relevant witness, even if Windows 95 has (more or less) shuffled off to the old operating systems retirement home by now. [WinRumors]