Well, it’s actually happening. Bill Gates has taken the witness stand in Salt Lake City, Utah, this morning to testify in Novell’s suit against Microsoft over antitrust allegations against the Redmond company dating back to the Windows 95 era.

The Associated Press has a report from the scene.

Gates will be asked to explain an email message he sent in October 1994 that has become a pivotal piece of evidence in the case. Novell’s lawyers call the message a smoking gun showing that Microsoft used Windows to give Office an unfair advantage against competing programs. Gates contends that the email is being misinterpreted.

Gates was legendary for his behavior during a deposition conducted by David Boies during the company’s landmark U.S. antitrust case, but the Microsoft co-founder has presumably come a long way since then.

The case, filed in 2004, was revived by an appeals court in May.

Microsoft is seeking a dismissal of the case.

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