Microsoft Exec Denies Apple’s Sabotage Claim

A Microsoft Corp. executive acknowledged during the company’s antitrust trial Wednesday that he tried to get Apple Computer Inc. to adopt Microsoft’s multimedia technology, but he denied sabotaging Apple in an attempt to get the task done.

Eric Engstrom, general manager of DirectX multimedia at Microsoft, completed his testimony by denying an accusation made earlier in the trial by Apple Senior Vice President Avadis Tevanian.

Tevanian, called by the government to show that Microsoft’s alleged anti-competitive actions extend to other companies besides Netscape Communications Corp., said that “while Microsoft was pressing Apple to withdraw from the playback market, Microsoft took several steps to sabotage QuickTime.” QuickTime is software designed to play back audio and video on PCs.

“I think his statement is completely unfounded,” Engstrom testified. “It’s amazing to me that Dr. Tevanian can come in . . . and make an accusation of sabotage. . . . Our company would never do something like that. This reflects on me personally and my colleagues at Microsoft.”

The Justice Department and 19 states have charged that Microsoft illegally used monopoly power for personal computer operating systems to preserve that monopoly power and extend it to other areas.

The accusations have focused mostly on Netscape and the market for Web browsers to surf the Internet.

In the afternoon, Microsoft Senior Vice President Joachim Kempin showed a video to demonstrate that the software company grants computer makers flexibility under its license agreement for Windows.

One of the issues in the case is whether Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft constrains computer makers in order to create disadvantages for Netscape’s Internet browser and promote its own Internet Explorer.

The video showed changes made in the look and feel of the Windows computer screen made by Sony Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., Compaq Computer Corp. and Acer Inc.

“A great deal of customization is available to” personal computer makers, said the video’s narrator.

But under questioning by government lawyer David Boies, Kempin acknowledged that the changes were not part of the standard Windows license for computer makers.