Ellison urges judge to divide Microsoft

Larry Ellison, chairman and chief executive of Oracle, claimed Microsoft's monopoly is about to end due to market forces - but called on the judge in the Department of Justice (DoJ) anti-trust trial to break the company up as well.

In a speech at the Nationsbanc Montgomery Technology Week last week, Ellison said the internet was fast rendering Microsoft's Windows software obsolete. But he also asked the judge to split the vendor into two - not to re-establish competition, he said, but rather to punish the company for 'knowingly breaking the law'.

He said the two halves of the company should be given the rights to the Windows operating system family, so both could offer competing versions. Furthermore, he added, the two parts should be prohibited from making acquisitions for five years.

Ellison claimed Microsoft made a deliberate decision to break the law in an attempt to crush Netscape. He said Microsoft calculated that whatever penalty it might incur, this would be offset by the advantages of destroying Netscape and delaying the onset of the internet.

'That put more money into Microsoft's pocket than any government punishment is going to take out,' argued Ellison.

He repeatedly veered into personal attacks on Bill Gates, chief executive of Microsoft: 'Bill wants to be known as the smartest person on the planet, not the richest. There's a difference,' he said, referring to Gates' role as Microsoft's visionary, since stepping down as president.

'Bill loves his monopoly,' Ellison concluded. 'It's very difficult for Microsoft to accept that the days of this monopoly are numbered ... It's very hard to give this up and go back to competing.'