Senator Calls for XP Hearings

Jul 23 2001

WASHINGTON - A Democratic member of th Senate Judiciary on Monday said he will call for congressiona hearings into Microsoft Corp's "anticompetitiv practices."

Sen. Charles Schumer, of New York, issued a statemen saying he will hold a press conference on Tuesday to call fo committee hearings to investigate Microsoft and "demand tha Windows XP allow users to choose their media player, messenge service and other applications instead of being forced to us Microsoft applications."

The statement said Schumer will "discuss the possibility o enjoining the release of Windows XP." It says he has written letter to Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer demandin changes to Windows XP, which is scheduled for release i October.

A spokesman for Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy a Vermont Democrat, said Microsoft's business practices will b one part of a broader hearing in September on the subject o how to promote competition on the Internet.

Leahy's spokesman, David Carle, said he had not see Schumer's statement and could not comment on it.

A spokesman for Microsoft could not immediately be reache for comment.

Schumer's comments echo the sentiments expressed by some o the state attorneys general pursuing the case agains Microsoft.

Some of the state prosecutors say they may raise Windows X as evidence that the company continues to abuse its monopol power because the new operating system is packed with ne software features, such as instant messaging and media playe software, that may exclude competitors.

Some Wall Street analysts who follow Microsoft, meanwhile are hoping the company can forestall any sanctions against i until after the release of Windows XP.

On June 28 a federal appeals court upheld lower-cour findings that Microsoft abused its monopoly in the market fo personal computer operating systems, in part by excludin competing software.

The appeals court overturned a lower court's order tha Microsoft be broken into two companies. It ordered that a ne lower court judge consider remedies against the Redmond Washington-based company and determine whether it illegall tied its Internet browser to Windows.

Since then, the Justice Department has asked the appeal court to speed up the case and has appointed a veteran tria attorney to carry the litigation forward.

Microsoft, meanwhile, has asked for a re-hearing on part o the June 28 ruling and said it may appeal to the U.S. Suprem Court.