The upcoming appeal arguments between the federal government and Microsoft Corp. will be a broadcast first as audio of the hearings will be streamed live on the Internet.
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said the audio broadcast would be distributed through a television network ‘pool’ and over the Internet on Feb. 26 and 27, “due to the widespread public interest in this case and the limited seating” in the courtroom.
The arguments will be available on the Web at ABC News online and C-SPAN Online. Other Web sites will be able to link to the streaming audio page via ABC News, the court said.
Seven appeals judges will hear some seven hours of arguments over two days on Microsoft’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling that the software giant should be separated into two entities. It will be the first live broadcast of D.C. Circuit proceedings.
The court will hear arguments on Microsoft’s contention that U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, who heard the original trial that lead to the breakup decision, showed bias against the company. After the trial, Jackson made comments about Microsoft and its chairman Bill Gates that the company says shows he was not balanced in his approach to the issues of the antitrust trial.