Burst wants Gates deposition released

A software company suing Microsoft for patent infringement wants a judge to release a deposition of Bill Gates to the public. Santa Rosa, Calif.-based Burst.com plans to file a motion in federal court in Baltimore requesting that U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz lift a protective order sealing certain files. Burst's lawsuit, filed in June 2002, accuses Microsoft of stealing Burst's video-delivery technology.

This isn't the first time a Gates deposition has become the focus of some scrutiny: Excerpts from a three-day interrogation of Gates were a staple of the Justice Department's long-running antitrust suit against Microsoft.