Washington: Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates will testify in the antitrust trial of the states still pursuing the case, Microsoft lawyer Dan Webb said on March 18.

Gates would be one of 25-30 witnesses Microsoft is expected to bring, Webb, the lead attorney for Microsoft, told US District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in his opening remarks of the remedy hearing.

The Justice Department last year (2001) settled its long-standing case with Microsoft, but nine states and the District of Columbia refused to join the settlement and are pushing Kollar-Kotelly to reject the settlement and impose a stricter punishment on the company for its anti-trust violations.