Microsoft in Web war appeal

Microsoft, the software giant, yesterday appealed against a federal judge's ruling barring it from compelling personal computer makers to use Microsoft's Web browser if they also use the company's Windows 95 operating system.

"This is a very dangerous precedent and would lead to a situation where high technology companies are limited by government judgement," William Neukom, chief lawyer for Microsoft, said. Microsoft added, however, that it would comply with the judge's ruling and give PC-makers a choice of what to do, but the choices will be limited.

PC-makers may remove all the files included in the retail version of Internet Explorer 3.0. Or they have the option of using an outdated version of Windows 95 from August 1995. They may also take Microsoft's version including the Web browser. But the software giant continued to bar companies from a practice which helped prompt the government challenge in the first place. Microsoft said manufacturers may not choose to dump Internet Explorer's "icon" on the computer "desktop" while distributing all the files from Microsoft's Web browser.

The case arose in part after PC-maker Compaq was required by Microsoft to reinstate the Microsoft Web icon, on penalty of losing its licence for Windows95. Compaq had chosen to drop the icon in favour of the icon for Netscape. Microsoft is involved in a battle with rival Netscape Communications Corporation over which company will win the so-called "browser wars". Web browsers are needed to access the increasingly popular World Wide Web.

Reuters, Washington