Microsoft lawyers, professor spar over Web browser definition

Microsoft lawyers and deposed Princeton professor Edward Felton spent hoursWednesday arguing about the definition of "Web browser." Felton was beingdeposed in preparation for Microsoft's antitrust trial, which resumes nextweek. Felton, you may recall, became infamous late last year when he wrote aprogram with a student that purports to remove Internet Explorer fromWindows. Microsoft argues that Felton's program removes only the mostobvious application but leaves "99%" of Internet Explorer on the system.

Today's battle, however, centered on the definition of the word "browser."Microsoft says that because Internet Explorer is so firmly integrated intothe operating system, it isn't a single application program and thus itblurs the lines. Felton argued that Internet Explorer, conversely, is anapplication program like any other.

"The Internet Explorer browser is the product that consumers use to browsethe web," Felten said.

"What software code comprises the browser?" argued Microsoft lawyer SteveHolley, alluding to the fact that installing Internet Explorer causes filesto be added all over the system