Sun Takes Microsoft To Court Over Java Agreement

Sun Microsystems Inc. sued Microsoft Corp., claiming it violated a licensing agreement by failing to make some of its software compatible with Sun’s popular Java language, stepping up the feud between the rivals.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., charges Microsoft with trademark infringement, false advertising and unfair competition. It seeks to bar Microsoft from using a logo indicating that its software is Java-compatible unless Microsoft makes changes to its updated Internet browser and software used to develop programs.

The dispute underscores the positions that Microsoft and Sun have taken over Java. The language lets programs run on any computer, something that could undermine Microsoft’s hold on the software market. In response to Java’s popularity, Microsoft licensed the software and has developed ways to make Java programs run best on Microsoft’s Windows software.

Sun said in the suit that Microsoft’s new Internet Explorer 4.0 browser, released last week, and its software development kit could be used to write programs that would run only on Microsoft’s Windows operating system, and not on others such as Apple Computer Inc.’s Macintosh or Unix.

“Our goal is to get Microsoft back in compliance,” said Alan Baratz, president of Sun’s JavaSoft division. “We want to get them to honor their agreement and commitment.”

Microsoft said in a statement that Sun’s claims were outrageous.

“Microsoft has delivered the most compatible implementation of Java on the marketplace and is well within the terms of our agreement,” Microsoft said.