“America Online president Steve Case, countering a central
defense by Microsoft in its antitrust trial, testified today his
company purchased Netscape without much interest in its Web
browser.
“In a deposition during a three-month recess, Case also
testified that he did not tell the government in advance about his
plans to acquire Netscape, and said a newspaper article was
accurate in reporting that he believed it would be foolish to try
to compete with Microsoft.
“Microsoft has argued repeatedly that AOL’s purchase of Netscape
Communications last November for $10.1 billion made the antitrust
trial irrelevant.”