Microsoft Urges Court to Keep Gates' Deposition Secret Amid Antitrust Case

Strategic Insights -

Microsoft has petitioned a federal appeals court to keep Bill Gates' pretrial interviews with government prosecutors private, citing concerns that publicizing his responses could compromise the company's trade secrets. The move comes as the case against Microsoft for antitrust practices nears a critical juncture, with jury selection set to begin in a Mississippi court. Meanwhile, a former Ku Klux Klan leader is on trial for murder and arson in a 1966 firebombing that killed a black man who was helping to register African Americans to vote. The proceedings are being closely watched as they shed light on a dark period in Mississippi's history. In Washington, the U.S. Senate has withdrawn its request for President Clinton to postpone the appointment of U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson as energy secretary, clearing the way for his nomination to be sent to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Key Takeaways:

  • Microsoft has asked a federal appeals court to keep Bill Gates' pretrial interviews private due to concerns over trade secrets.
  • Jury selection has begun in the Mississippi case against a former Ku Klux Klan leader accused of ordering a 1966 firebombing that killed a black man.
  • The U.S. Senate has backed down from its request to delay the appointment of U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson as energy secretary.
  • Richardson is likely to remain at his U.N. post temporarily due to ongoing global tensions, including the recent embassy bombings in east Africa.
  • The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has yet to schedule a hearing on Richard Holbrooke's nomination as the new U.N. ambassador.
  • The case against Microsoft for antitrust practices will continue, with the court's decision on keeping Gates' deposition secret expected to have significant implications.

Statistics:

  • 400 prospective jurors were summoned to the Mississippi court to select a jury for the trial against Samuel H. Bowers, a former Ku Klux Klan leader.
  • Vernon Dahmer, a black man who was killed in the 1966 firebombing, was helping to register African Americans to vote at the time of his death.
  • 3 state juries and 1 federal jury had previously deadlocked on charges against Bowers before the current trial.
  • The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee conducted a bipartisan staff review, which found that U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson did not mislead the committee on a job he offered to Monica Lewinsky.

Sources:

  • [Associated Press]
  • [United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources]
  • [Washington Post]
  • [Klansman Samuel H. Bowers, currently on trial]
  • [United Nations]