Here is an excerpt from a conference in which Sun explained the original court ruling.
The original transcript can be found at:

http://java.sun.com/lawsuit/111798teleconf.html
or search the Sun site or internet yourself for more.



November 17 1998 Teleconference Post Sun vs Microsoft Ruling


Chuck Jones: Two questions. First do you believe there is a way for Microsoft to leave their changes in their Java extensions and still pass the compatibility tests or must they remove them? Secondly, is complying with order good enough, such as shipping both their version and your version? Or are there additional dollar damages that you will be asking for?


A. Baratz: I'll address the first question. Then I'll ask Mike Morris to address the second question. We have said all along that we encourage our licensees and partners to innovate on the Java platform and to introduce new functionality to enhance that platform. However, we have always said that that innovation needs to be done in such as way that the resulting functionality adheres to Sun's applet application program interface and passes our compatibility test suites. To that end, we are not asking Microsoft to remove any enhancements that they might have added that do not interfere with Sun's public interfaces to the Java technology. All we're asking is that they fully support Sun's public interfaces to the Java technology and pass the compatibility test suite that tests for such adherence. So long as they do that, we achieve cross-platform support, we achieve the ability for Java applications to run across multiple operating systems and multiple microprocessors. Beyond that, if a single partner or licensee wants to enhance the technology, they're free to do that.


Michael Morris: As to the second part, whether or not we are going to be asking for money damages. Clearly when this case is tried, we'll be asking for two things. First of all, that this preliminary release be made permanent and secondly money damages, no question about it.


L. Poulson: OK. Next question please, Operator.


Operator: Elizabeth Corcoran from ";Washington Post,"; please go ahead.


Elizabeth Corcoran:; A question for each of you. First Mike, could you give us sense of how- when you say when the case is tried - can you give us sense of what the timing is on trying a full case, how long that's going to go on and when we would consider this to be permanent, if you were to prevail in that case? Secondly, Alan, once Microsoft is in compliance if they include your JNI stuff in what they're already shipping, will developers-who is going to see a real change? Tell us about what consumers and what developers will see as a substantive change in the software they have in front of them.


M. Morris: On a question of a trial date, no trial date has yet been set. Obviously, we believe it's in our interest to get as early a trial date as we possibly can. We'll be pushing for that. The court docket in this district, as you know, is very crowded. Nevertheless we're going to be working as hard as we can to get this case tried early and resolved early. When that is so it's very difficult to say.


A. Baratz: Regarding your second question, there are two elements to the judge's ruling. One is related to the run-time environment that is delivered within Microsoft's platform products operating systems and browser. The other is with respect to the technology that is delivered in Microsoft's tools, products like Visual J++ or STK for Java. Regarding the run-time environment, the requirement that Microsoft incorporate the Java native message interface within their implementation of the Java technology in their platform products means that developers will now be able to write native code in such a way that that native code can access Java code and Java code can access the native code, no matter whether the developers are using the Microsoft browser or the Netscape Navigator browser or an application written by some third party like Enterprise Develper Tool or Symantec Developer Tool that incorporates an implementation of the Java virtual machine*. Across all implementations of the Java technology in products that run on the Windows operating systems, developers will be able to write Java code and native code that communicates with one another independent of the product they're using that incorporates the Java platform. Developers no longer need to worry about which version of the Java platform they are using: the one that came with Explorer; or the one that came with Windows 98; or the one that came with Netscape Navigator; or the one that came with Symantec Visual C;eacute;; or on and on and on. They no longer need to worry about that.


Secondly with respect to the tools, Microsoft had introduced some new key words and compiler directives into their tools and the run-time environment for the Java platform. Essentially, what the order from the court does is it ensures that developers will be forewarned, very clearly forewarned, whenever they are about to use these key words or directives that Microsoft has introduced. So that they know ahead of time the use of those things will lock them back into the Microsoft implementation of the run-time environment and the Windows platform. In the Microsoft tools, which is the only place where these key words and compiler directives have been implemented, now the developers will be forewarned when they are about to use functionality that causes them to stumble into those extensions and lock them into the Windows platform.


The second thing that the court said is that the default mode for the Microsoft tools is to not enable those compiler directives and key words. When you get the Microsoft tools out of the box, the ability to use the key words and compiler directives will not be enabled. If you try to use them, you will basically be-- run into an error condition. You have to explicitly turn it on. When you turn it on, you will be warned this is something dangerous for you to be using.
E. Corcoran:; Thank you very much.


L. Poulson: OK. Operator, we're ready for the next question.


Operator:; Laura Conigliaro from Goldman Sachs, your line is now open.


Laura Conigliaro: Yes. Couple of questions. First of all, how many applications at this stage actually pass Java compatibility test suites? Secondly, have you given any consideration or are you giving any consideration, particularly in light of your interest in really expanding the number of applications and ISVs that are involved with Java, to making Java freeware?

A. Baratz: OK. They're really two different questions there. Regarding the first question, it's really-it's not applications that need to pass the job of compatibility test suite. It's products that incorporate the Java run-time environment that need to pass the Java compatibility test suite. These would be parts like operating systems or browsers or tools. To date, we're in a situation where all of our licensees of the Java technology that incorporate the technology within their products, either pass the compatibility test suite or have committed within a specific timeframe to pass the compatibility test suite. At this point, Microsoft is the only company that is really out of compliance with the agreement and the requirement to pass the Java compatibility test.

 

 

 

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