Microsoft terminates Sun's Java license

Date: October 1997

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From: Tom Johnston Sent: Saturday, October 25, 1997 3:13 PM To: Diana Reid (Waggener Edstrom); Joe Herman; Linda Norman (LCA); Cornelius Willis: Chades Fitzgerald Cc: Joscelyn Zell; Cindy LaVo~e (VVaggener Edstrom) Subject: Additional: RUDE Q&A on Microsoft’s Response to Sun

Good points. I’ve taken a stab at these.

Note - these are RUDE, and wouldn’t be posted on the web site. Joe/Chades/CWillis, plz comment. Thx.

MS is asking the courts to grant Microsoft the right to terminate Sun’s licenses to Microsoft Java technology. If this happens, will MS continue to support "Java" and what will that Java look like? (e.g. will it be a fragmented, incompatible version?)

Microsoft is continuing on the same course we outlined in the spring on 1996:

1 Deliver the best implementation of the Java language and Java byte codes on Windows,

2 Deliver the best tool for Java

3 Allow developers using Java to have full access to the power of the Windows Platform

We’re intent on continuing this strategy. Regarding what Java will look like tn the future, it’s premature to say. Microsoft is going to continue investing in Windows as a platform, with great support for that platform from any major language, including Java

If Sun releases their compatibility tests to an independent third-party will that have any affect on this countersuit?

Privileged Material Redacted

If MS believes that battles such as this should be fought in the marketplace and not the courtroom, why the countersuit? Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?

Not at all. Both Microsoft and Sun had a good deal when the agreement was signed. Now Sun doesn’t like what it signed up to, and is asking the court to re-write the agreement. That’s hypocritical.

---Original Message From: Diana Reid (Waggener Edstrom) Sent: Saturday, October 25, 1997 2:19 PM To: Tom Johnston; Joe Herman Cc: Joscelyn Zell; Cindy LaVoie (Waggener Edstrom) Subject: RE: Q&A on Microsoft’s Response to Sun

Looks good. A couple other rude Qs that you may want to think about (I know we’re not quite ready to answer them fully, but given the wording of the release and this FAQ, smart reporters and analysts will continue to make the leap between now and what this all means for the future, as well as poke holes in our "story")


 * MS is asking the courts to grant Microsoft the right to terminate Sun’s licenses to Microsoft Java technology. If this happens, will MS continue to support "Java" and what will that Java look like? (e.g. will it be a fragmented, incompatible version?)


 * If Sun releases their compatibility tests to an independent third-party will that have any affect on this counter-suit?


 * If MS believes that battles such as this should be fought in the marketplace and not the courtroom, why the countersuit? Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?

Next question is: obviously Sun knows exactly how long we have to repond to their suit, and that window will close this week so they have anticipated or planned for some sort of action from us. Has anyone heard any rumblings about potential responses or action from them next week? The fact that InfoWorld was making odd noises all of a sudden about public tests of the SDKs makes me think that something is in the works Anyone else have some contacts they can tap into.

From: MSTOMJ Sent: Saturday. October 25 ’997 1 42 PM Cc: Cindy, Lavoie, Diana Reid Subject: Q&A on Microsoft s Response to Sun

Hasn’t been reviewed by Lnorman. but everything's come out of the earlier q+a or taken from their response so we feel good about it.

PIz send comments to me and Joe. Thx.

-TJ

Full Exhibit
http://boycottnovell.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/px02782.pdf