By Suzanna Kerridge, 6 January 1999 17:10
NEWS After almost three months of the Microsoft antitrust trial, the US Department of Justice case has called its final witness. Franklin Fisher, an economic professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, stood by claims made in his pre-trial written testimony that Microsoft acted in a predatory and anti-competitive manner. Fisher claimed the software giant will win monopolistic power in the browser market unless the court intervenes. He continued his attack by stating the company has managed to gain 95 per cent of the operating system market because of anti-competitive practices. In his testimony, Fisher said: "If Microsoft's conduct is not checked, it is very likely to create a world in which entry into browsers is difficult or impossible. In that world, those that do not have a Microsoft standard will never prosper, and a critical opportunity for innovation that reduces or eliminates Microsoft's power will be lost." The professor arrived at court armed with five files full of documents to help support his claims. However, he faced stiff examination by Microsoft lawyer, David Boies, who tried to discredit his credentials by calling him an "in-house economist" for the DoJ.
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