Gates Argues Case Before Shareholders

Addressing a crowd of sympathetic shareholders, Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates declared that the government’s antitrust case against his company contains “outrageous” and “untrue” claims and won’t serve the interests of consumers and innovation. “We have incredible respect for the legal system but we look at the case and we have to ask, is this being brought on behalf of consumers or a handful of competitors?” Gates spoke before about 2,000 people attending the company’s annual shareholders meeting. He noted reports that executives from rival firms have had private breakfast and dinner meetings with Justice Department antitrust officials. Gates and other senior Microsoft executives drew warm applause from the audience when they stepped onto the stage, on a day when the trial in Washington was in recess in observance of Veterans Day. The company’s billionaire leader politely argued the Microsoft case and gave no ground, mirroring the tactics that his lawyers are pursuing in the trial. “I’m looking forward to the day when [general counsel William] Neukom gets to present our witnesses,” he said. In addressing Microsoft’s business, Gates said the company has had a “great year,” but still must work harder to make its products simpler to use, to ensure that they work well or “inter-operate” with other companies’ products and to advance the use of Internet standard technology. As he has in the past, Gates pointed out that Microsoft believes it faces “intense competition” in every sector of its business. “We take all of it very, very seriously,” he said.