Microsoft Press Release.
Re: Sun v. Microsoft, Case No. 97-20884.
Date: May 12, 1998.
Source: Microsoft.
Microsoft Defends Best Implementation of Java in the Industry
Sun Motion is without merit
REDMOND, Wash. - May 12, 1998 - Microsoft Corporation today called Sun Microsystems' motion and request for a preliminary injunction against the Microsoft® Windows® 98 operating system "without merit," and reaffirmed Microsoft's commitment to providing consumers and Java developers with the best Java implementation in the industry. Microsoft said this action is a deliberate attempt by Sun to use the courts and the upcoming release of Windows 98 to gain a marketing opportunity at the expense of consumers and developers.
"Sun's motion completely misses the mark because Windows 98 continues Microsoft's commitment to deliver the best implementation of Java to developers and the marketplace," said Brad Chase, Microsoft's Vice President for Developer Relations and Marketing. "Windows 98 is the result of listening to our customers and consumers and providing new functionality which improves people's lives."
Microsoft's Java Virtual Machine has been consistently rated as the best implementation in the industry. For example, PC Magazine recently awarded Microsoft its prestigious Editor's Choice award for the second year in a row claiming that "its Java environment was the fastest and most compatible on our tests." Microsoft has consistently fulfilled its strategy of making Windows - including Windows 98 - the best place to run Java by delivering the best virtual machine.
The new Sun motion was filed in the continuing contractual dispute between the two companies over Microsoft's right to develop a Java implementation which lets Windows customers take full advantage of their hardware and software investments (the contract can be viewed at http://www.microsoft.com/corpinfo/contract.htm.) Sun's most recent attempt to contort the contract and interfere with the release of Windows 98 to consumers is another example of Microsoft's competitors trying to use regulators and the court system to compete rather than focusing on customers.
"There is no legal or factual basis for granting Sun's request for a preliminary injunction affecting Windows 98," said Tom Burt, Associate General Counsel for Microsoft. "If the preliminary injunction is granted the harm would be to consumers and software developers who will be denied use of the best tools in the industry to create and run Java applications."
The Microsoft development tool for the Java programming language, Visual J++™, is the industry's most widely used tool and supports the development of applications that take full advantage of the Windows platform, and also provides developers the choice to create least common denominator, cross-platform applications.
Sun has consistently stated that Microsoft's Java implementation does not fulfill its "dream." Yet, Sun officials are reported to have acknowledged that they have not yet actually found a Java program that doesn't run on the Microsoft product.
"Windows 98 offers our customers a myriad of improvements and features that have nothing to do with Sun or the Java programming language," added Chase. "Sun is intentionally seeking to interfere with the release of this great product to the marketplace."
The motion was filed in Federal District Court in San Jose, and Microsoft looks forward to presenting its case in court as soon as possible.
Microsoft, Windows and Visual J++ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.