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Part Two On Monday, November 2, the government released portions of a videotaped deposition of Microsoft CEO Bill Gates taken for the U.S. v. Microsoft antitrust trial. Video excerpts are available. Full text of the deposition portions are below. Editor's Note: There may be errors in the text resulting from the scanning process.
Q: BY MR. BOIES: Did you have discussions with Apple in which you were trying to get Apple to agree to help you undermine Sun?
Q: Well, let me show you a document and try to probe what you mean by being involved. Let me give you a copy of a document that has been previously marked as Government Exhibit 265.
Q. BY MR. BOIES: Do you have any doubt that you sent it?
Q. You recognize that this is a document produced from Microsoft's files, do you not, sir?
Q. You don't?
Q. Do you see the document production numbers down at the bottom?
End of segment.
Q. Let me go back to the e-mail, Mr. Gates. What did you mean when you asked Mr. Maritz whether or not, "We have a clear plan on what we want Apple to do to undermine Sun"?
Q. Did you personally participate in any conversations with Apple in 1997 and 1998?
Q. Let me be a little more specific. Did you participate in any conversations with Apple in 1997 or 1998 concerning what Apple would or would not do that would affect Microsoft competitively?
Q. And did you participate in those conversations?
Q. And what was the nature of your conversations with Mr. Jobs?
End of segment.
Q. Was it your understanding that Microsoft office for Macintosh was believed by Apple to be very important to them?
Q. Well, sir, in making the decisions as to what you would ask of Apple, did you believe that what you were offering Apple with respect to Microsoft Office for Macintosh was important enough to Apple so that they ought to give you something for it?
Q. Well, let me show you a document that has been previously marked as Government Exhibit 268. This is a document bearing Microsoft document production stamps MS98 0110952 through 53. (The document referred to was marked 169 by the court reporter as Government Exhibit a-66 f or identification and is attached hereto.) Q. BY MR. BOIES: The first part of this purports to be a copy of an e-mail from Don Bradford to Ben Waldman with a copy to you, Mr. Maritz and others on the subject of "Java on Macintosh/IE Control." Did you receive a copy of this e-mail on or about February 13, 1998?
Q. Do you have any reason to doubt that you received a copy of this e-mail?
Q. The first paragraph reads, "Apple wants to keep both Netscape and Microsoft developing browsers for Mac -- believing if one drops out, the other will lose interest (and also not really wanting to pick up the development burden.) Getting Apple to do anything that significantly/materially disadvantages Netscape will be tough. Do agree that Apple should be meeting - the spirit of our cross license agreement and that Macoffice is the perfect club to use on them." Do you have an understanding of what Mr. Bradford means when he refers to MacOffice as "the perfect club to use on Apple."?
Q. The second sentence of that paragraph, the one that reads, "Getting Apple to do anything that significantly/materially disadvantages Netscape will be tough." Was it your understanding in February of 1998 that Microsoft was trying to get Apple to do something to disadvantage Netscape?
Q. Do you know why Mr. Bradford would have written this in February of 1998 and sent a copy to you?
Q. Did you ever say to Mr. Bradford in words or substance in February of 1998 or thereafter, "Mr. Bradford, you've got it wrong, we're not out to significantly or materially disadvantage Netscape through Apple"?'
Q. Did you ever tell Mr. Bradford or anyone else in February, 1998 or thereafter, that they should not be trying to get Apple to do things that would significantly or materially disadvantage Netscape?
End of segment.
Q. What was Mr. Bradford's position in February of 1998?
Q. Let's begin with what company he worked for. He clearly worked for Microsoft; correct, sir?
Q. Do you know what his title was?
Q. Do you know who Mr. Waldman is?
Q. What was his title in February of 1998?
Q. What were his responsibilities in February of 1998?
Q. In addition to you and Mr. Maritz, copies of this go to David Cole, Dave Reed, Charles Fitzgerald and Jon DeVaan. Do you know what Mr. Cole's position was in 1998?
Q. What was it?
End of segment.
Q. And Mr. DeVaan?
Q. Did you have any conversations with anyone within Microsoft as to what position Microsoft should take with Apple in terms of what Microsoft should ask Apple for in return for Microsoft developing Mac Office?
Q. 1997 or 1998.
Q. Did you have any conversations with anyone within Microsoft as to what position Microsoft should take with Apple in terms of what Microsoft should ask Apple for in return for Microsoft developing Mac Office?") THE WITNESS: I'm not sure what you're saying about Mac Office. We developed Mac Office because it's a profitable business for us. Q. BY MR. BOIES: Well, you threatened to cancel Mac Office, did you not, sir?
Q. You never threatened Apple that you were going to cancel Mac office; is that your testimony?
Q. Did you ever discuss within Microsoft threatening Apple that you were going to cancel Mac Office?
End of segment.
Q. BY MR. BOIES: Now, let me direct your attention to the second item on the first page of this exhibit. And this purports to be an e-mail from Mr. Waldman to.you dated June 27, 1997; is that correct, sir?
Q. You have to answer audibly yes or no,Mr. Gates.
Q. Do you recall receiving this e-mail in June of 1997?
Q. Do you have any doubt that you received this e-mail in June of 1997?
Q. Do you know why Mr. Waldman wrote you in June of 1997 that, "The threat to cancel Mac Office 97 is certainly the strongest bargaining point we have, as doing so will do a great deal of harm to Apple immediately"?
Q. Was this the time that you were negotiating with Apple to try to find out what you could get Apple to do to undermine Sun?
Q. You're referring to your e-mail dated August 8, 1997; is that correct?
Q. That has been marked as Exhibit -3-&5; is that correct?
Q. That's August 8, 1997?
Q. And it is clear from your August 8, 1997 memo that you are still attempting to get Apple to do additional things, is it not, sir?
Q. Well, sir, let's read it. It's only three lines. You write, "I want to get as much mileage as possible out of our browser and Java relationship here." And when you talk about "here," you're talking about with Apple, are you not, sir?
Q. Well, the subject of this is Post-agreement"; correct, sir?
Q. Post-agreement with Apple; right?
Q. So the subject is post-agreement with Apple, and the very first sentence is, "I want to get as much mileage as possible out of our browser and Java relationship here." Second sentence says, "In other words, a real advantage against Sun and Netscape." Third line says, "Who should Avie be working with? Do we have a clear plan on what we want Apple to do to undermine Sun?" Now, do you have any doubt that when you talk about, "I want to get as much mileage as possible out of our browser and Java relationship here," you're talking about Apple?
Q. Do you have any recollection of any discussions about the subje ct matter of this e-mail 1ine or about August of 1997? If the question is confusing, I'd be happy to rephrase it, Mr. Gates.
Q. Did you send this e-mail?
Q. Did you discuss this e-mail with anyone?
End of segment.
Q. Let me go back to Exhibit 9-6- 6, which is the June 27, 1997 e-mail from Mr. Waldman to you. Do you recall -- and I know you've said you don't recall receiving this e-mail, but do you recall anyone describing the threat to cancel Mac Office 97 as a bargaining point that you had in dealing with Apple in or about June of 1997?
Q. Whether you remember somebody using the exact words that Mr. Waldman uses in his June 27, 1997 e-mail to you, do you remember people telling ou in substance that the threat to cancel Mac office 7 97 was strong bargaining point that you had against 8 Apple and that cancelling Mac Office 97 would do a great deal of harm to Apple immediately?
Q. And did you believe in 1997 that cancelling Mac office 97 would do a great deal of harm to Apple, as Mr. Waldman writes it would?
Q. My question to you now, sir, is whether you believed that cancelling Mac office 97 would do a great deal of harm to Apple?
Q. And did you believe that cancelling Mac office 97 would do a great deal of harm to Apple?
Q. The next sentence in Mr. Waldman's June 27, 1997 e-mail to you begins, "I also believe that Apple is taking this threat pretty seriously." Did someone tell you in or about June of 1997 that Apple was taking Microsoft's threat to cancel Mac Office 97 seriously or pretty seriously?:
Q. Mr. Gates, my question is not what position Mr. Maritz did or did not take. My question is whether anyone told you in or about June of 1997 that Apple was taking pretty seriously Microsoft's threat to cancel Mac Office 97?
Q. Mr. Gates, I'm not asking you what Apple may have known or may not have known. What I'm asking you is whether anybody told you in or about June of 1997 that Apple was taking pretty seriously Microsoft's threat to cancel Mac Office 97?
Q. Told you that in words or in substance.
Q. Well, the way I'm phrasing it is the way that Mr. Waldman phrased it to you in his e-mail of June 27, 1997; correct, sir?
End of segment.
Q. Mr. Gates, Mr. Waldman on June 27, 1997, sends you an e-mail that says, "The threat to cancel Mac Office 97 is certainly the strongest bargaining point we have, as doing so will do a great deal of harm to Apple immediately. I also believe that Apple is taking this threat pretty seriously." Do you recall anyone
Q. You can if you think it is necessary to answer the question. Do you recall anyone telling you what I have just quoted in words or in substance in or about June, 1997?
End of segment.
© Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company |
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