Microsoft critic silenced by judge

The judge in Microsoft's anti-trust case has refused to allow testimony from former Netscape CEO James Barksdale.

In written evidence presented to the court Barksdale claimed the measures being sought against the software giant are insufficient and would not have prevented Microsoft illegally destroying Netscape's browser business - nor will the settlement make competition any more likely in the marketplace, he claimed.

However, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered Barksdale from the courtroom, denying him the opportunity to have his say on the company's latest operating system Windows XP.

Barksdale sides with the nine states pushing for more severe measures against Microsoft, but Kollar-Kotelly claimed Barksdale is not qualified to decide what punishments are best for Microsoft.