September trial date set for Microsoft lawsuit

A FEDERAL judge yesterday set a trial date of 8 September for the US government's antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft. Government and state lawyers were jubilant over the early trial date, which was much sooner than the software giant had hoped. But District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson granted Microsoft's motion to have the state and federal lawsuits combined.

"By the time that you propose [for a hearing], there will be 16 to 18 million horses out of the barn, and that's too late," Judge Jackson said, referring to the forthcoming release of Windows 98, the newest version of Microsoft's operating system.