The government's antitrust trial against Oracle's $7.7 billion takeover bid for PeopleSoft motored on Thursday, but outside the courthouse there was still a buzz about previously confidential documents released at the trial late Wednesday. The documents illuminated the facts that both Microsoft and IBM fear the competitive landscape will tilt against them if Oracle takes over PeopleSoft. That unwelcome prospect prompted Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates to begin considering some extraordinary defensive measures the day after Oracle launched its June 2003 bid, according to trial evidence.
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