Ruling Allows Gates’ Interviews to Be Public

Pretrial interviews in government antitrust lawsuits against Microsoft Corp. should be open to the public, including the questioning of its billionaire chairman and chief executive, Bill Gates, a federal judge ruled. The decision by U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson could postpone the trial, now scheduled to begin Sept. 8, because Microsoft, government lawyers and media organizations must work out the logistics of the 25 interviews. Microsoft also can appeal the ruling. Jackson temporarily delayed all interviews in the case, including one of Gates that was to have begun Wednesday, until all sides can agree on arrangements for public questioning. The judge cited an obscure law that requires depositions in cases brought under the Sherman Antitrust Act to be open to the public.