Gates deposition will be public

Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ruled that Bill Gates' depositions before thecourt--and any other depositions in the Microsoft vs. DOJ case--will be open to the public and media. The surprise ruling came after an earlymorning emergency meeting on Tuesday where a number of news organizationsargued before the court that they should be allowed to attend. The rulingcould well delay the start of the trial, which is now scheduled forSeptember 8.

There are some key issues that need to be ironed out, however, before thesedepositions can begin. The questioning of Gates, for example, was originally scheduled for Wednesday; now, it will be delayed until theseissues are resolved. The biggest issue, of course, centers around anyconfidential business information that may be discussed.

"We're reviewing the order to determine how to proceed," said Microsoft spokesman Adam Sohn. "The judge seeks protections for confidential information for all of the parties, but we frankly are quite concerned about the impact on our trial preparation.