Microsoft Ordered to Bundle Sun's Java Programming Language with Windows

In its 23 December 2002 opinion, the U.S. District Court for District of Maryland granted Sun Microsystem's request that Microsoft be forced to include the Java programming language with its Windows operating system. Judge Motz accepted Sun's theory that Microsoft deliberately thwarted the adoption of Java by creating its own unauthorized and incompatible version of Java. He also found that "unless Sun is given an opportunity to compete in a market untainted by Microsoft's past antitrust violations, there is a serious risk that the market will tip in favor of .NET" (Microsoft's competing Internet enabled distributed computing platform), and this serious harm cannot be compensated by a monetary award. The court has not finalized the form of the injunction and Microsoft has indicated that it intends to appeal the ruling. For the full text of the opinion, visit: http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/Opinions152/Opinions/SunPI1202.pdf