Microsoft to drop products in Java dispute

Microsoft will retire several of its products next week, including Windows 98 and SQL Server 7, to comply with a court order related to its dispute with Sun Microsystems over Java.

In a posting to Microsoft's developer website, the company lists several older products that are being phased out and that will no longer be available to customers as of 15 December.

The roster of products to be dropped includes SQL Server 7, Office XP Developer, Windows 98, and a number of Office 2000-related tools and patches. Microsoft said that it will update Java-compliant versions of some products by the end of the month, including Office XP Professional with FrontPage, Publisher 2002, Windows NT 4.0, and Small Business Server 2000.

Microsoft said that after the deadline the products would no longer be available through its MSDN developer website or through "other channels at Microsoft." In the posting, dated 4 December, the company said the shift was "due to a settlement agreement reached in January 2001" related to a Java licensing agreement between Sun and Microsoft.

Executives from Microsoft and Sun were not immediately available to comment.

According to an agreement reached with Sun over the distribution of the Java virtual machine, Microsoft's software needed to run Java programs. Microsoft had the right to modify Microsoft's Java software to fix critical bugs or security holes through 2 January, 2004.

In October, Microsoft said that it would effectively exit the business of distributing Java virtual machines for Windows but that it would extend support for its own Java software for nine months until September 2004. At the time, however, the company did not specify which products it would continue to support.

Sun has sought to distribute its own Java virtual machine through court proceedings and in distribution agreements with PC manufacturers.

Martin LaMonica writes for CNET News.com