Bill Gates

You're not open to just this one thing, the tying of Internet Explorer and Windows? Okay, we're going to look at everything.

You're not open to just this one thing, the tying of Internet Explorer and Windows? Okay, we're going to look at everything.

Yeah. And Microsoft folks at the time, too, are starting to get this inkling of, why are they doing this? Are consumers really mad at us? Who's being helped here? And they're starting to realize, hmm, there is a lot of lobbying going on behind the scenes of Netscape and everyone else we're competing against trying to find a way to call us anti-competitive.

Yeah. And Microsoft folks at the time, too, are starting to get this inkling of, why are they doing this? Are consumers really mad at us? Who's being helped here? And they're starting to realize, hmm, there is a lot of lobbying going on behind the scenes of Netscape and everyone else we're competing against trying to find a way to call us anti-competitive.

Which, we should say, is always true in these big antitrust lawsuits, but that was certainly happening in this one.

Which, we should say, is always true in these big antitrust lawsuits, but that was certainly happening in this one.

Yep.

Yep.

So the first question that everyone is sort of wondering is, did Microsoft have a monopoly here? Well, the fact is that they had over 90% of PC operating system sales. So, you know, I'm not a judge, but at first glance there, you think like, okay, they have market power. So in August of 1998, Judge Jackson issues a pretrial order that all depositions...

So the first question that everyone is sort of wondering is, did Microsoft have a monopoly here? Well, the fact is that they had over 90% of PC operating system sales. So, you know, I'm not a judge, but at first glance there, you think like, okay, they have market power. So in August of 1998, Judge Jackson issues a pretrial order that all depositions...

And so for folks who aren't in this world or looked at lawsuits before, a deposition is when the counsel goes and does a bunch of interviews beforehand. You're not being called as a witness in the trial, but it's basically information gathering. Yeah. Interview process. Yes. So on August 27th, Bill Gates is deposed by the DOJ's appointed prosecutor, David Boies, for 20 hours.

And so for folks who aren't in this world or looked at lawsuits before, a deposition is when the counsel goes and does a bunch of interviews beforehand. You're not being called as a witness in the trial, but it's basically information gathering. Yeah. Interview process. Yes. So on August 27th, Bill Gates is deposed by the DOJ's appointed prosecutor, David Boies, for 20 hours.

And I think this happens over multiple days. Actually, on YouTube, which is interesting to note, you can watch 12 of the 20 hours. I think I've watched eight or nine of it, but it's just hours and hours and hours of... Just some, you know, light bedtime viewing. ...of Bill Gates being asked questions.

And I think this happens over multiple days. Actually, on YouTube, which is interesting to note, you can watch 12 of the 20 hours. I think I've watched eight or nine of it, but it's just hours and hours and hours of... Just some, you know, light bedtime viewing. ...of Bill Gates being asked questions.

So the strategy that Gates and the Microsoft legal team used was one that was tailored for this pretrial ruling. If you watch the video, you can see that the strategy is essentially never give an inch, avoid saying anything that can be used against you. And Microsoft walked out of it feeling like they were pretty successful in this.

So the strategy that Gates and the Microsoft legal team used was one that was tailored for this pretrial ruling. If you watch the video, you can see that the strategy is essentially never give an inch, avoid saying anything that can be used against you. And Microsoft walked out of it feeling like they were pretty successful in this.

Right. And yet I just watched the video on YouTube, so what's going on here?

Right. And yet I just watched the video on YouTube, so what's going on here?

Yeah. So if you're watching the video, though, it's very easy to think this guy is rude, pedantic, and disrespectful. I'm not out on a limb saying that opinion. If anybody watches this video, that is just the obvious takeaway.

Yeah. So if you're watching the video, though, it's very easy to think this guy is rude, pedantic, and disrespectful. I'm not out on a limb saying that opinion. If anybody watches this video, that is just the obvious takeaway.