Judge Issues Java Order Against MicrosoftJudge Issues Java Order Against Microsoft

BALTIMORE (AP) -- A federal judge formally issued an order Tuesday requiring Microsoft to release an updated version of Sun Microsystems' Java programming language for Windows.

U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz, who decided in December to issue an injunction against Microsoft, delayed the order's effective date for two weeks so Microsoft can appeal.

Microsoft will have to put the latest Java on Windows XP and other products that incorporate the company's .Net framework, which like Java allows software to work on different systems.

"This preliminary injunction is a huge victory for consumers who will soon have the best, latest Java technology on their PCs," said Lee Patch, a Sun vice president.

Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler said the company will comply while pursuing an appeal.

The order makes Sun responsible for supporting its software carried on Windows, and Microsoft can request information and engineering assistance needed to comply.

Microsoft will not have to distribute Java for specific foreign-language versions of Windows unless Sun has a Java version tailored to that language.

Microsoft will have four months to comply once the order takes effect. The order remains in effect while Sun presses its $1 billion antitrust suit claiming Microsoft used its monopoly to hurt Java.

Java is designed to let programmers write software to run on all types of computers, whether they use Windows, Apple's Mac operating system, or some other operating system. Users may run into Java without knowing it when they visit Web sites that feature games or other applications.

Sun argues in its lawsuit that Microsoft has gained an unfair advantage by shipping Windows with an outdated version of Java that's inconsistent for its users. Windows is used by more than 90% of the world's personal computers.